PARAKH : National Assessment Regulator

News: The National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) has announced PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development), India’s first national assessment regulator, which aims to establish assessment norms for all boards.

 

  • The National Education Policy (NEP)-2020, which envisioned a standard-setting organisation to advise school boards regarding new assessment patterns and cutting-edge research and foster cooperation between them, has been implemented, and PARAKH has been established as part of that process.
  • It will function as a part of the NCERT.
  • Additionally, it will be responsible for conducting recurring learning outcome assessments like the State Achievement Surveys and the National Achievement Survey (NAS).
  • Large-scale assessments, school-based assessments, and examination reforms will be its three main areas of focus.
  • Setting norms, standards, and guidelines for student evaluation and assessment across all recognised school boards in India is the goal.
  • It will promote and support school boards in changing their assessment practises to match the 21st-century skill standards.
  • As the state and central boards currently use different standards of evaluation, resulting in significant score disparities, it will bring uniformity to both.
  • The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020’s goal of ending the focus on rote learning will be attempted by the benchmark assessment system.