Chandigarh eclipses all states, UTs to claim top spot in school education index

Launched in 2017 by the Ministry of Education, PGI assesses the performance of school education in states and UTs across India, and the assessment is out of 1,000 points. The indicators of evaluation include learning outcomes and quality, infrastructure and facilities, equity, governance processes, teachers’ education and training.

Reflecting on the top rank, H Brar, Director, School Education, said, “Chandigarh’s impressive performance in the PGI is a proud moment for the city.

Brar lauded teachers, saying their “dedication and hard work” have laid the foundation for this achievement, along with the UT Administrator and Chief Secretary and Departments of Education, Engineering, Finance, Social Welfare and MC.

“This kind of interdepartmental teamwork, a shining example, anchored by a shared commitment to student success, is what transformed plans into results. Chandigarh’s PGI success is more than a statistical accomplishment — it is a story of unity, purpose, and the belief that quality education is a shared responsibility. Together, we have set a new benchmark — and together, we will continue striving for even greater heights in education,” he added.

Brar highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the Department of School Education, UT Chandigarh, for the improvement of domain-wise scores of PGI over 2021-22, like improvement of adjusted net enrolment ratio at secondary level from 76.41 per cent (2021-22) to 106.8 per cent in 2023-24 and improvement of net enrolment ratio at higher secondary level from 56.87 per cent (2021-22) to 71.2 per cent in 2023-24. He added that Chandigarh schools also maintained a retention rate at 100 per cent at all levels in all the years.

ICT labs/smart classrooms established in all government schools, 38 government schools in 2021-22 to 47 in 2023-24, free textbooks provided to all students at the elementary level before the start of the academic year, were some other improvements mentioned by the official.