NCERT notified India’s first national assessment regulator- PARAKH

What is PARAKH?

• The Performance Assessment, Review, and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH) as a centre is established within the education survey division of the NCERT
• It works on setting norms, standards and guidelines for student assessment and evaluation for all recognised school boards in the country.
• The regulator aims to set up assessment guidelines for all boards to help remove disparities in scores of students enrolled with different state boards.
• PARAKH has been launched as part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 that envisaged a standard-setting body to advise school boards regarding new assessment patterns and latest research, and promote collaborations between them.
• PARAKH will work on three major assessment areas: 
  • Large-scale assessments.
  • School-based assessment.
  • Examination reforms. 
• To begin with, PARAKH will work on bringing an equivalence in the recognised school boards in India in terms of the academic standards among learners. 
• PARAKH will closely work with the state directorates of education, state education boards and international organisations working in the area of assessment and evaluation.
• PARAKH will also be responsible for conducting large-scale assessments, including the National Achievement Survey (NAS). 
• The next NAS in 2024 will be conducted by PARAKH. It will also guide the State Achievement Survey (SAS), and monitor achievement of learning outcomes in the country.
• The Centre will also manage India’s participation in international assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS).