The latest Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 report released by the Union Ministry of Education has once again highlighted the sharp contrasts within India’s school education system. The report, which evaluates states and Union Territories on parameters such as learning outcomes, equity, infrastructure, governance and teacher training, presents a mixed picture of educational progress across the country. While some states have made remarkable improvements, several others continue to lag behind, exposing deep structural weaknesses in their education systems.
Among the best-performing states, Punjab, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh emerged as leading performers in the latest rankings. These states have consistently invested in school infrastructure, teacher training, inclusive education and monitoring systems. Kerala’s long-standing emphasis on literacy and public education continues to keep it among the top states, while Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have shown notable progress in improving learning outcomes and educational access.
Why Some States Continue to Lag Behind
At the other end of the spectrum, several poorer-performing states continue to struggle in crucial domains such as governance, digital systems, infrastructure and academic quality. States with weaker educational performance generally suffer from chronic administrative inefficiency, inadequate school facilities, high dropout rates and shortage of trained teachers.
One of the biggest challenges before these states is improving learning outcomes rather than merely increasing enrolment figures. Over the years, many states succeeded in bringing children to schools but failed to ensure quality education inside classrooms. Weak foundational learning, poor reading and mathematical abilities and inadequate classroom monitoring continue to affect student performance.
Another major problem is the shortage of trained teachers and uneven teacher deployment. In several states, rural and remote schools continue to face severe staff shortages, while urban schools remain comparatively better equipped. Teacher absenteeism, lack of regular training and weak accountability mechanisms further worsen the situation.
Infrastructure gaps also remain a serious concern. Many schools in low-performing states still lack proper classrooms, internet connectivity, functional toilets, science laboratories and digital learning facilities. In tribal and geographically remote regions, accessibility itself becomes a major barrier to education delivery.
Governance failures have also contributed significantly to poor performance. The PGI report repeatedly stresses the importance of digital governance systems, Aadhaar-linked databases, online attendance systems and effective school monitoring mechanisms. States lagging in these reforms often struggle with transparency, fund utilisation and policy implementation.
Socio-economic conditions further complicate the challenge. Poverty, child labour, migration and social inequalities continue to affect school attendance and retention in several backward regions. In some states, girls’ education still faces social and cultural barriers, impacting overall educational indicators.
How the Centre Can Help Improve Performance
The Centre can play a major role in helping weaker states improve their educational performance. Greater financial assistance for infrastructure development, digital classrooms and teacher recruitment will remain essential. The Union government can also strengthen targeted intervention programmes for backward districts and tribal regions.
Capacity-building support is equally important. Better-performing states can serve as models for administrative practices, teacher training and school monitoring systems. The Centre can facilitate inter-state collaboration so that successful educational strategies are replicated in weaker regions.
Technology-driven reforms may also become a crucial solution. Expanding digital education platforms, online teacher training, real-time monitoring systems and internet-enabled governance can improve transparency and efficiency in school administration.
Final message
The PGI report ultimately sends a broader message that India’s educational challenge is no longer merely about access to schools but about the quality, equity and governance of education itself. Unless poorer-performing states bridge these gaps, the country’s larger demographic and economic ambitions may remain difficult to achieve.
Against this backdrop,Himachal Pradesh’s remarkable rise from 13th to sixth position in the national Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2024-25 released by the Union Ministry of Education marks one of the most significant educational turnarounds among Indian states in recent years. Even more striking is the fact that the hill state stood at 21st position just two years ago. The rapid improvement not only underlines the strengthening of Himachal’s school education system but also signals that focused policy intervention, administrative accountability and sustained political commitment can produce measurable outcomes even in geographically difficult states.
The latest PGI rankings place Himachal third among states, behind Punjab and Kerala, while overall it stands sixth including Union Territories. The state has been placed in the prestigious “Prachesta-2” category, the second-highest category in the country, with an overall score of 659.2 out of 1,000 — an improvement of over 85 points from the previous year.
Focus on Learning Outcomes and Equity
Several factors appear to have contributed to this upward jump. The first and perhaps the most important is the state government’s emphasis on improving learning outcomes rather than merely expanding enrolment figures. Himachal recorded a dramatic rise in the “Learning Outcomes and Quality” domain, where its score more than doubled compared to the previous year. This reflects improvement in classroom teaching, student assessment and academic quality.
The second important factor has been the state’s continued focus on equitable and inclusive education. Himachal scored over 90 per cent in the “Equity” domain, suggesting that the education system has performed relatively well in reaching socially and geographically disadvantaged sections. In a hill state where remoteness and terrain often become barriers to education delivery, maintaining educational access itself is a major achievement.
Another major strength has been teacher education and training. Himachal scored strongly in this domain, indicating that investments in teacher preparedness and academic support systems are yielding results. Traditionally, Himachal has maintained comparatively better teacher-student ratios and stronger school-level monitoring than many larger states. The improvement in infrastructure and facilities has also contributed to the state’s rise.
A significant role in this transformation appears to have been played by Education Minister, Rohit Thakur. His repeated emphasis on changing “mindset and work culture” within the education department indicates that the reforms were not confined only to policy announcements. Thakur also focussed on the government’s attempt to fix accountability within the system which improved institutional responsiveness.
The improvement across national surveys also strengthens the credibility of the achievement. Himachal’s better performance in ASER, National Achievement Survey and now PGI suggests a broader positive trend rather than isolated success. The District Performance Grading Index further reveals that 11 out of 12 districts have moved into the high-performing category, indicating that progress is not restricted only to urban centres.
Governance Challenges Still Remain
However, despite the impressive gains, major challenges remain ahead. The most serious concern lies in governance processes, where Himachal’s score continues to remain relatively low. The PGI report specifically highlights weaknesses in Aadhaar seeding, digital attendance systems, internet-enabled school administration and online monitoring.
(Writer is a senior political analyst and strategic affairs columnist based in Shimla)
