Context: The Department of School Education & Literacy has officially released the detailed performance reports for the Performance Grading Index 2.0 for States/UTs (PGI-S) and the Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D) for the 2025-26 academic year.
About The Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0:
What It Is?
- The Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 is an advanced, data-driven analytical model designed to evaluate and score the performance of school education across sub-national administrative units in India.
- Moving away from standard, competitive league table numerical rankings, the system groups states, UTs, and districts into specific performance bands (grades) to encourage collaborative and targeted systemic upgrades.
Established In: The index framework was originally introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2018 (covering data from 2017-18).
Types of PGI Instruments:
- PGI-S (States and Union Territories): Evaluates the high-level macro education environment and policy frameworks across all 36 States and UTs on a 1,000-point matrix.
- PGI-D (Districts): Pinpoints the implementation efficiency of localized district administrations across 784 districts on a tailored 600-point matrix.
Aim: The objective of the PGI series is to provide a comprehensive, multidimensional picture of school education performance.
Key Features of the Dual Frameworks:
- The PGI-S Framework (1,000-Point Matrix): The state-level index tracks 70 indicators divided into two major categories: Outcomes and Governance & Management. These are further split into six operational domains:
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- Learning Outcomes and Quality
- Access Outcomes
- Infrastructure & Facilities
- Educational Equity
- Governance Processes
- Teacher Education & Training
- The PGI-D Framework (600-Point Matrix): The district-level index evaluates 70 localized indicators split into six categories: Outcomes, Effective Classroom Transaction, Infrastructure Facilities & Student Entitlements, School Safety & Child Protection, Digital Learning, and Governance Process.
- Absolute Grading Band Hierarchy: Instead of assigning individual ranks, PGI 2.0 uses a strict multi-tier grading matrix based on percentage scores:
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- Utkarsh: The highest achievable grade (for scores exceeding 90%).
- Uttam (Tiers 1–3): For scores ranging from 61% to 90%.
- Prachesta (Tiers 1–3): For scores ranging from 31% to 60%.
- Akanshi (Tiers 1–3): The base tier for scores under 40%.
- Cross-Platform Portal Integration: The framework is completely automated and eliminates self-reported errors by pulling verified data from major central education portals, including UDISE+, the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, the PM POSHAN Portal, and the PRABANDH database.
