NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT SURVEY 2025
1. Context
When the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2025 results were released on July 2, few expected Himachal Pradesh — which ranked at a modest 21st place in 2021 — to leap into the top five. While Punjab and Kerala retained their leading positions, it was Himachal’s 16-rank jump that garnered headlines.
2. What is National Achievement Survey (NAS)?
- The National Achievement Survey (NAS) is a large-scale evaluation carried out every three years by the Ministry of Education to assess student learning in government and government-aided schools.
- It focuses on students in Classes 3, 5, 8, and 10, testing their proficiency in core subjects like language, mathematics, and science. The insights gained from this exercise help States shape their education policies.
- Although NAS plays a valuable role as a diagnostic tool, it does come with certain shortcomings. It tends to assess aspects of learning that are straightforward to measure, rather than the more nuanced and essential outcomes of education.
- Elements like critical thinking, emotional development, civic responsibility, and social equity often remain unmeasured.
- Therefore, while the performance of states like Himachal Pradesh in NAS is commendable, such results should not be viewed as the only indicator of quality education
3. Himachal and ratings
- Himachal Pradesh’s improved standing is still noteworthy as it reflects a turnaround after a period of decline. Once considered a benchmark for education among hill states, the state's public schooling system had faced years of setbacks.
- This was despite the strong foundation laid by its first Chief Minister, Y.S. Parmar, who, in the post-Independence era, championed the widespread establishment of schools with a vision of educating rural children and strengthening village communities.
- However, the period following economic liberalisation witnessed a gradual weakening of the public education system.
- The shift towards hiring teachers on a contractual basis, coupled with insufficient recruitment and declining academic standards, led to a steady migration of students to private schools. As faith in government-run schools diminished, private institutions began to proliferate—even in the most remote parts of the state
4. Key takeaways of National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2025
NAS 2025 provides a detailed snapshot of where India's school education stands: while access and parity may be improving, the survey reveals deep-rooted gaps in cognitive, mathematical, and scientific understanding—gaps that widen with each grade. Addressing these challenges requires renewed focus on foundational skills, teacher capacity, and targeted state-specific reforms
Here are some of the details:
- The survey covered over 21 lakh students in Grades 3, 6, and 9 from 74,229 schools across 781 districts, along with insights from 270,000 teachers and school leaders
- Only 55% of Grade 3 students could correctly order numbers up to 99, and similar struggles were seen in two‑digit operations
- By Grade 6, 46% had difficulty with multiplication tables and basic arithmetic, and only 38% could approach real‑life math problems
- At Grade 9, deep gaps were evident: just 31% understood number sets like fractions and integers, and 37% could explain scientific concepts like wind or circuitsProficiency steadily declines from Grade 3 to Grade 9, especially in applied math and critical thinking.
- There remains a significant rural–urban and inter-state disparity, with northeastern states and select districts lagging behind
5. Education in India
- The Indian Constitution, particularly Part IV which outlines the Directive Principles of State Policy, includes Article 45 and Article 39(f) that advocate for free, equitable, and universally accessible education, funded by the state.
- A major shift occurred through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976, which placed education under the Concurrent List, allowing both the Centre and states to legislate on the subject.
- Later, the 86th Amendment Act of 2002 elevated education to the status of a justiciable fundamental right by introducing Article 21-A, ensuring free and compulsory education for children
- The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 operationalizes Article 21-A by guaranteeing free primary education to all children between 6 and 14 years of age. A key feature of the Act is the 25% reservation in private schools for children from economically and socially disadvantaged backgrounds
- The government has launched several initiatives to enhance the quality and reach of school education, including the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which envisions a holistic and flexible learning environment.
- Supporting schemes such as Samagra Shiksha 2.0, the NIPUN Bharat Mission (for foundational literacy and numeracy), the PM POSHAN scheme (for midday meals), and tools like the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) and the Performance Grading Index (PGI) play a crucial role in monitoring and improving educational outcomes across the country
6. Way forward
The National Achievement Survey (NAS) offers a crucial indication that Himachal Pradesh is regaining its footing in education. However, it provides limited insight into aspects like students’ emotional and social well-being, the depth of teacher-student interactions, or the level of involvement from the local community. There is a real risk in equating success in standardized assessments with the broader goals of education. Himachal’s real success lies in restoring public confidence in the value of government schooling. As the state moves forward with its educational reforms, it must strengthen its efforts by making teacher positions permanent, adopting more comprehensive assessment methods, and ensuring that students from rural and underprivileged backgrounds are not excluded from progress
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For Prelims: National Achievement Survey (NAS), Article 21-A, National Education Policy (NEP) 2020
For Mains: GS II - Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE)
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Source: The Hindu
