Guwahati: Meghalaya has introduced a statewide school evaluation system that will assess 11,443 recognised schools across its 12 districts under a new performance index.
The Meghalaya School Performance Grading Index (MSPGI) 2025-26, launched by the Education Minister on Friday, is the first such school-level assessment initiative in the state.
Prepared by the Education Department using authenticated UDISE+ 2025-26 records, the index measures schools on 43 indicators covering five broad categories, accessibility, digital education, infrastructure facilities, National Education Policy (NEP)-based activities and quality standards. The framework carries a maximum score of 1,000 points.
Each participating school will receive an individual assessment report showing its performance score, grade and position under the index.
The Education Minister said the MSPGI is intended to help schools understand their strengths and shortcomings rather than function only as a ranking mechanism.
He said the system would support school authorities, teachers, School Management Committees and officials in planning improvements and addressing gaps.
The grading process relies on UDISE+ information provided and authenticated by schools. Based on their performance, institutions have been placed in 17 categories, from Utkarsh (Outstanding) to Akanshi-10 (Intensive Support), with each grade linked to specific benchmarks.
The department said the MSPGI follows the framework of the Performance Grading Index (PGI) developed by the Union Ministry of Education but applies it directly to individual schools.
Officials said Meghalaya achieved a record PGI score of 525.71 points in 2025-26, compared to 401.62 points in 2022-23.
The state also advanced from Akanshi-3 to Akanshi-1 category, becoming the first time it moved beyond the lowest performance level under PGI 2.0.
The Education Department has asked schools to examine their assessment reports, identify areas needing improvement and coordinate with School Management Committees and district-level authorities for further support.
The department added that MSPGI will complement existing inspections and classroom evaluations and will not serve as a separate indicator of students’ learning outcomes.