The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Education, Government of India, today convened the National Conference on Curricular and Assessment Equivalence of Boards and Improving Learning Outcomes, at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, New Delhi.
This high-level gathering brought together more than 250 senior officials from the Ministry of Education, State Education Departments, State Education Boards, SCERTs, and representatives from Autonomous Bodies including CBSE, KVS and NVS.
The conference began with an address by Shri Anandrao V. Patil, Additional Secretary, DoSE&L, who welcomed the participants and emphasised on two core priorities of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020; transition towards competency based learning and comparability across school boards.
Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, DoSE&L, chaired the event and underscored the importance of creating mechanisms for ensuring consistency in assessments and academic outcomes across diverse education systems while preserving flexibility for local needs. He called for a collaborative approach to institutionalize parity and reliability in school-level evaluation practices, especially as India advances the goals of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Prof. Dinesh Prasad Saklani, Director, NCERT, explained the foundational role of PARAKH in enabling informed educational reforms. He highlighted the need to align assessment methods with curricular aims and ensure that data from large-scale assessments supports policy and pedagogy.
A major highlight of the conference was the formal launch of the PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan Dissemination Portal, which provides open access to National and State-level data on student performance. This tool is expected to serve as a key resource for States/UTs to design targeted improvement plans to enhance learning outcomes and bridge skill gaps.
Prof. Indrani Bhaduri, Head and CEO of PARAKH, presented an overview of the 2024 Rashtriya Sarvekshan findings. The insights revealed state-wise and district-wise variations in student learning, with attention drawn to foundational literacy and numeracy levels, subject-specific achievements, and areas where interventions have produced measurable gains. Her presentation encouraged data-driven self-reflection and local adaptation of successful strategies. Thereafter discussion took place on strategies and improving learning outcomes State/UT wise.
To complement findings from the large scale assessment with ground level insights, the conference featured best practice presentations by senior officials from Education Departments of six States/UTs including Ms. Anindita Mitra, Secretary, Higher Education and School Education Department, Punjab, Shri Rajesh Sharma, SPD (Samagra Shiksha), Himachal Pradesh, Dr. Supriya A.R., SPD (Samagra Shiksa), Kerala, Smt. Kanchan Verma, SPD (Samagra Shiksha), Uttar Pradesh, Shri Jatin Goyal, SPD (Samagra Shiksha), Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Shri Rahul Rekhawar, Director (SCERT), Maharashtra, highlighting innovative, high-impact interventions to raise learning outcomes.
The conference also explored the topic of equivalence of Boards across curriculum and assessment in depth, with a focus on developing robust state-level frameworks and recognition processes. Presentations were made by senior officials from seven State Education Boards including by Dr. Vijay Rama Raju. V, Director, School Education, Andhra Pradesh, Shri Narnaryana Nath, Secretary, Assam State School Education Board, Smt. Priti Shukla, Deputy Secretary, Chhattisgarh Madhyamik Shiksha Mandal, Smt. Meghna Shetgaonkar, Director, SCERT, Goa, Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir Singh, Director Academics, Jammu & Kashmir Board of School Education, Shri Jayant Kumar Mishra, Secretary, Jharkhand Academic Council and Mr. Lalrinmawia Ralte, Controller of Examinations, Mizoram Board of School Education, Mizoram shared their State-Level Frameworks for Equivalence, outlining robust policies, processes and institutional mechanisms.
Shri. Rahul Singh, Chairperson, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) shared CBSE’s perspective on ensuring quality standards in schools, especially in its capacity as a School Standards Authority. Emphasis was placed on institutional self-evaluation, teacher capacity development, and data transparency to support continuous school improvement. Shri Venkatraman Hegde, DDG (Stats), DoSEL, delivered an insightful and data-driven presentation on the analysis of Secondary and Higher Secondary examination results 2024 across different school boards, offering a comprehensive overview of the academic performance of students.
Prof. Indrani Bhaduri, outlined a strategic roadmap for achieving curricular and assessment equivalence across school boards, underscoring its importance in ensuring fairness, mobility and consistency in student evaluation. She further elaborated on the proposed implementation framework and the anticipated impact of board equivalence on the broader school education landscape. She also emphasised on the establishment of State School Standards Authority (SSSA) in all States/UTs which will ensure that all schools meet minimum quality benchmarks through transparent regulation and implementation of the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework (SQAAF).
The conference also highlighted implementation of Holistic Progress Cards (HPCs) by States/UTs. Ready Reckoner Videos developed to support schools and teachers in adopting child-centric, continuous evaluation approaches were introduced to aid in mainstreaming these practices. These tools are aimed at reinforcing competency-based education and building a culture of regular, meaningful feedback for students.
A significant session was dedicated to the recognition of school boards as awarding bodies for vocational courses. Leading this discussion, Ms. Prachi Pandey, Joint Secretary, SE&L, Ministry of Education, stressed the importance of creating seamless pathways between general and vocational education. She noted that empowering school boards to confer vocational credentials would help improve access to skill-based learning and align with national objectives on employability and lifelong learning.
The conference concluded with a vote of thanks by Ms. Anusree Raha, Deputy Secretary, DoSE&L, who acknowledged the valuable contributions of all participants and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to fostering coordination between boards, institutions, and states. The deliberations throughout the day reflected a shared resolve to build a school education system that is fair, inclusive, and focused on learning for all.
