Cabinet nod for STARS and national assessment center

Source: Indian Express

The Ministry of Education (MoE) will be setting up the National Assessment Center PARAKH to support and improve the quality of assessment in schools.

Being a World Bank aided scheme, and to be set following the proposition of the National Education Policy (NEP), PARAKH aims to establish a sophisticated assessment system in place of rigorous cut-throat examinations, under the STARS (Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for states) Project.

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With the total project cost of rupees 5,718 crores, the programs cover key features such as increment in teacher capacity, right to education entitlement, teacher’s education, gender and equity, inclusive education, etc. It further ranges to assessment reforms and improvement in basic math and reading skills for students in the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, etc. 
The project would also fund India’s participation in the 2022 cycle of Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).