In News:

• The Union government plans to create a benchmark framework for assessing students at the secondary and higher secondary levels.
• The aim is to achieve uniformity among state and central boards, which now use diverse evaluation criteria, resulting in huge differences in scores.
• The proposed regulator, PARAKH - Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development, will work to eliminate the emphasis on rote learning that the NEP envisions.

What’s in today’s news:

• About National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
• About PARAKH

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020:

Background:

• An NEP is a comprehensive framework to guide the development of education in the country.
• The first education policy came in 1968 on the recommendation of the Education Commission, headed by D S Kothari.
• The second education policy came in 1986, which was replaced by the third education policy - NEP 2020.

About NEP 2020:

• 
• The NEP 2020 was drafted based on the recommendations of a panel led by former ISRO chief Kasturirangan.
• The policy is a comprehensive framework for elementary to higher education, as well as vocational training in both rural and urban India.
• The policy aims to transform India's education system by 2040.

How will the NEP 2020 be implemented?

• The NEP only provides a broad direction and is not mandatory to follow.
• Since education is a concurrent subject, the reforms proposed can only be implemented collaboratively by the Centre and the states.
• The current government has set a goal of implementing the entire policy by 2040.

PARAKH: Background

• Recently, the NCERT convened a series of meetings with representatives from state boards and SCERTs to reach an agreement on how to implement the plan, which includes the establishment of a new assessment regulator.
• During the discussions, most states endorsed the NEP proposals -
  • To hold board exams twice a year, including one for helping students improve their scores.
  • To offer two types of papers on mathematics - a standard exam and another to test higher level competency, to reduce the fear of maths among students and encourage learning.
  • To have two sets of question papers for most subjects - one with multiple choice questions (MCQs) and the other descriptive.
• As a result, the Union Ministry of Education recently invited bids to establish a regulator - PARAKH.

About:

• The benchmark assessment framework - PARAKH, has been proposed by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, to put an end to the emphasis on rote learning.
• PARAKH will act as a constituent unit of the NCERT and will be tasked with -
  • Setting norms, standards and guidelines for student assessment and evaluation for all recognised school boards of India.
  • Holding periodic learning outcome tests like the National Achievement Survey (NAS) and State Achievement Surveys.
    • If the plans are on track, the NAS in 2024 will be conducted by PARAKH.
• PARAKH team will consist of leading assessment experts with a deep understanding of the education system in India and internationally.
• PARAKH will eventually become the national single-window source for all assessment-related information and expertise, with a mandate to assist all forms of learning assessment, both nationally and globally, where relevant.

Significance:

• Uniformity: PARAKH will contribute to addressing the issue of students from some state boards being at a disadvantage during college admissions when compared to their peers from CBSE schools.
• Standardisation: It will establish and implement technical standards for test design, administration, analysis and reporting at all levels of schooling.
• Skill development: It will encourage and help school boards to shift their assessment patterns towards meeting the skill requirements of the 21st century.