5 non-BJP ruled states skip first State Educational Achievement Survey
New Delhi (PTI): Five states ruled by non-BJP parties, including Delhi and West Bengal, skipped the first State Educational Achievement Survey conducted by national assessment regulator PARAKH, according to Education Ministry officials.
The survey, aimed at identifying areas requiring improvement in school teaching and learning, was carried out to understand the baseline performance in the development of the competencies at the end of the foundational, preparatory, and middle stages.
Conducted on November 3, the survey assessed educational competencies among students at the block level in India in classes three, six, and nine.
"This extensive survey covered approximately 80 lakh students from three lakh schools at 5,917 blocks across the nation. It also includes 6 lakh teachers and more than 3 lakh field investigators.
"The primary objective of this survey is to assess the learning competencies of students at the end of each educational stage, i.e., foundational, preparatory, and middle with a primary focus on Language and Mathematics," a senior Education Ministry official said.
The official added that barring Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, and West Bengal, all other states and Union Territories participated in the survey.
Tools to assess students' competencies were designed using scientific procedures, while the assessment methodology employed a paper-pen-based approach with OMR technology for data capture and analysis, which ensured the precision and efficiency of data acquisition and validation.
"With the successful execution of the State Educational Achievement Survey, 2023, crucial insights into the strengths and potential areas for enhancement within the education system will be available. These insights will form the bedrock for evidence-based policies and initiatives directed towards enriching the quality of education for the students," said School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar.
He said one of the noteworthy features of the survey this year was the expansion of the sample size to understand the learning gaps at the block level, a strategic shift from the district.
"This transition was inspired by the objective of catering to a larger number of students and effectively understanding the performance at a deeper level. Furthermore, this approach also encompassed teachers' professional development programs at the block level," Kumar said.
School Education Additional Secretary Vipin Kumar said this assessment, with the educational block as the finest unit of analysis, will carry profound implications for education policies, encompassing teacher training programs and the creation of teaching and learning support resources.
"The insights gained from this survey will lead to evidence-based decision-making and the implementation of initiatives aimed at improving the education system," he said.
Officials said that this is the first such survey conducted by the Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH), an organisation under the NCERT.
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41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
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He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
