The Centre is planning to draw up a benchmark framework ‘PARAKH’ to assess students at the secondary and higher secondary level to bring about “uniformity” across state and central boards.

What is PARAKH?

• PARAKH stands for Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development.
• The proposed regulator will act as a constituent unit of the NCERT.
• It will also be tasked with holding periodic learning outcome tests like the National Achievement Survey (NAS) and State Achievement Surveys.
• The benchmark assessment framework will seek to put an end to the emphasis on rote learning, as envisaged by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• PARAKH, the proposed implementing agency, is also part of the NEP proposal.

Response form States

• Most states endorsed the proposal to hold board exams twice a year, including one for helping students improve their scores.
• States are also on board regarding a proposal to offer two types of papers on mathematics — a standard exam, and another to test higher level competency.
• It will help reduce the fear of maths among students and encourage learning.

Significance of PARAKH

• PARAKH will help tackle the problem of students of some state boards being at a disadvantage during college admissions as compared to their peers in CBSE schools.
• It will develop and implement “technical standards for the design, conduct, analysis and reporting” of tests at all levels of school education.
• PARAKH will eventually become the national single-window source for all assessment related information and expertise, with a mandate to support learning assessment in all forms, both nationally and where applicable, internationally.

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