PARAKH

Why in news?

• The workshop will study school assessments, examination practices and equivalence of boards across the country.
• The main component of this plan is PARAKH or the National Assessment Centre which has been set up as an organisation under the National Council of Educational Research and Training.

What is PARAKH?

• The benchmark assessment framework - PARAKH, has been proposed by the NEP 2020.
• It will function as a standard-setting body for student assessment and evaluation for all school boards in the country and will put an end to the emphasis on rote learning.
• The mandate of PARAKH is to work on bringing the school boards across the States and the Union Territories to a common platform.
• “As a first step, a workshop on PARAKH will act as a common platform for interaction of all concerned stakeholders in order to develop a holistic approach that ensures a fair assessment system which promotes equity in performance and equivalence in assessment of students.
• The aim is to establish a unified framework that enables seamless transitions for students moving between different boards or regions.
  • This includes aligning curriculum standards, grading systems, and evaluation methodologies to enhance the credibility, recognition of certificates, and grades obtained across boards.

 

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Q1) What is the National Council of education and training?

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous organisation set up in 1961 by the Government of India to assist and advise the Central and State Governments on policies and programmes for qualitative improvement in school education.

Source: Education Ministry calls first meet aimed at unifying 60 school boards