New Delhi, August 14, 2023, PGI Report 2021-22 – Andhra Pradesh has been ranked in the ‘Atti Uttam’ (Highest ranking) category of states that provide better access to education with quality infrastructure, according to the Performance Grade Index (PGI) report for the year 2021-22.
The report was released by the Union Ministry of Education on July 7, 2023. According to the latest rankings, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands has emerged as the top-performing Union Territory in terms of offering access to high quality education. Closely following are the states of Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, as well as the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
PGI Report 2021-22 – Methodology
The Performance Grading Index (PGI) provides insights into the conditions of the school education system across India. The index uses secondary data from the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE +), the National Achievement Survey (NAS) of NCERT, the mid-day meal website, the Public Financial Management System (PFMS), and the Shagun portal to grade the schools on the basis of ranking of 1000 points.
The PGI framework consists of 1000 points distributed across 73 indicators. These indicators are classified into two primary categories: outcomes and governance & management. The PGI divides the states and UTs into ten levels on the basis of Learning Outcomes and Quality, Access, Infrastructure & Facilities, Equity, Governance Processes, and Teacher Education & Training. ‘Daksh’ is considered as level 1, which is for State/UT scoring more than 90% of the grade range, whereas ‘Akanshi-3’ is level 10, the lowest grade with less than 460 scores.
PGI Report 2021-22 – Ranking Indicators
The PGI structure comprises a total weightage of 1,000 points across 6 domains including effective classroom transactions, infrastructure facilities, school safety & child protection, digital learning, and governance processes.
The grade-wise list of States and UTs is mentioned below:
| Grades | States/Union Territories (UT) |
| Daksh (941-1,000) | – |
| Utkarsh (881-940) | – |
| Atti-Uttam (821-880) | – |
| Uttam (761-820) | – |
| Prachesta -1 (701-760) | – |
| Prachesta -2 (641-700) | Chandigarh |
| Prachesta -3 (581-640) | Delhi
Kerala Maharashtra Puducherry Tamil Nadu |
| Akanshi-1 (521-580) | Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Andhra Pradesh Chhattisgarh Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Goa Haryana Himachal Pradesh Lakshadweep Madhya Pradesh Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu West Bengal |
| Akanshi-2 (461-520) | Assam
Bihar Jammu & Kashmir Jharkhand Ladakh Manipur Nagaland Odisha Telangana Tripura Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand |
| Akanshi-3 (401-460) | Arunachal Pradesh
Meghalaya Mizoram |
PGI Report 2021-22 – Governance Processes
The state government has prioritized the implementation of RTE guidelines for elementary education, aiming to establish primary schools within 1 km and upper primary schools within 3 km of each habitation. Furthermore, Andhra Pradesh has one of the healthiest student-teacher ratios in the country (23) and most (99.97%) of the teachers have appropriate professional qualifications.
This progress is attributed to strategic initiatives like the YSR Amma Vodi scheme, Jagananna Vidya Deevena, and AP Career Portal which underscore the state’s commitment to improving access to quality school education.
- YSR Amma Vodi Scheme
- The Amma Vodi scheme extends financial assistance to underprivileged individuals, while also encouraging parents to enroll their children in schools.
- This initiative involves the provision of financial aid to students, with an annual disbursement of ₹15,000 as per the government’s stipulations.
- The assistance is accessible to students spanning grades 1 to 12, and the designated grant is directed to the mother of the applicant.
- Eligibility for this program is limited to holders of the White Ration Card.
Notably, the Amma Vodi initiative has contributed to the enrollment of more than 3,00,000 new students in educational institutions, as reported by the state government.
- Jagananna Vidya Deevena
- This program provides fee reimbursements to students from diverse backgrounds, including Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Kapus, economically backward classes, and Person with Disability (PwD) candidates.
- Students with a family annual income of less than ₹2.5 lakh are eligible for the scheme.
- Those possessing 10 acres of wetlands or 25 acres of dry land are also eligible for the scheme’s benefits.
- Students hailing from families engaged in sanitation work and individuals professionally dependent on taxi, auto, and tractor operations are eligible without any income limit.
- The scheme focuses on reimbursing full course fees to students pursuing courses such as B Tech, B Pharmacy, M Tech, M Pharmacy, MBA, MCA, and BEd, among others.
- AP Career Portal
- This portal is accessible to students of class 9 to 12.
- The AP Career Portal offers information on more than 555 career paths.
- It provides details about 21,000+ colleges, 1,150+ entrance exams, and various vocational institutes.
- The portal covers undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) colleges, as well as vocational institutes within the state and country.
- Information about entrance exams and application procedures is available on the AP Career Portal.
- The portal includes data on 1,200+ scholarships, competitions, and fellowships for higher education in India and abroad.
PGI Report 2021-22 – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q.1 What is PGI grading?
Ans:- The Performance Grading Index (PGI) provides an assessment of the operational aspects of schools within Indian states and union territories. This evaluation helps in identifying areas needing enhancement, optimization of resource allocation, and formulation of specific strategies to elevate the educational standards on the national level.
Q2. How does the YSR Amma Vodi Scheme benefit eligible families?
Ans:- Under the YSR Amma Vodi Scheme, eligible families receive financial aid of ₹15,000 per year for every child studying in class 1 to 12. This initiative supports families economically while promoting education among their children.
Q3. How does the AP Career Portal contribute to higher educational pursuits of the students?
Ans:- The AP Career Portal not only provides information on career paths and colleges for higher education but also guides students through the application procedures for entrance exams and scholarships. Additionally, the portal serves as a repository of data for over 1,200 scholarships, competitions, and fellowships for higher education both in India and abroad.
Q4. What is the latest version of the Performance Grading Index (PGI) report?
Ans:- The most recent iteration of the Performance Grading Index is known as PGI 2.0, which was introduced for the year 2021-22. Under this revised version, the PGI has undergone changes and now encompasses 73 indicators that are organized into two distinct categories: Outcomes and Governance Management (GM).
Q5. What is the PGI index of Odisha?
Ans:- In the Performance Grading Index (PGI 2.0) report for the year 2021-22 released recently by the Union Ministry of Education, Odisha attained a score of 517.1 out of 1000 points.
