In an era where education reform is often tangled in political tokenism, Himachal Pradesh has quietly but boldly rewritten the script. Under Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s leadership, the hill state has leapfrogged from the 21st rank in the 2021 National Achievement Survey (NAS) to 5th in 2025—thanks to a no-nonsense restructuring drive that prioritizes learning outcomes over populism. The chief minister feels that the state's “Vyavastha Parivartan” model isn’t just a bureaucratic slogan; it’s a data-backed transformation that other states would do well to emulate.

Against this backdrop, Karnataka maintained a steady performance, especially in language and mathematics. Surprisingly, Delhi’s performance showed a mixed trend—while urban schools scored better, disparities remain in government-run schools. Jammu and Kashmir demonstrated moderate gains but still lags in higher-grade competencies due to structural and geographic challenges. Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, two of the most populous states, continued to rank low, with persistent gaps in learning outcomes, especially in rural areas, indicating a serious need for intervention in foundational literacy and numeracy.

Several reasons explain these rankings of various states. Maharashtra and Karnataka have leveraged technology-based learning and decentralised educational planning. On the other hand, states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh suffer from chronic teacher absenteeism, high student-teacher ratios, and poor infrastructure. In Delhi, governance tussles and migration-related over-enrolment in public schools affect consistency. Jammu & Kashmir faces logistical constraints due to weather and security disruptions. Thus, systemic inequities and administrative efficiency play a crucial role in shaping the educational rankings across these states.

From Decline to Dramatic Rise: A Contextual Rebound in Himachal

Himachal’s trajectory in NAS assessments reflects a rollercoaster ride—strong groundwork laid in the early 2000s, stagnation by 2017, and a post-pandemic dip in 2021. Yet, 2025 has emerged as the inflection point, powered by reforms grounded in foundational learning,........

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