The recently released Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 from the Union Ministry of Education has placed Telangana at 25th out of 35 states and union territories in school education. Telangana scored 511.9 out of 1000, retaining the Akanshi-2 grade—just one level above the lowest. That’s a red flag.
For a state brimming with aspirations, this should feel like a wake-up call. Instead, it seems to have been met with a disquieting calm.
Progress or Plateau?
The score has gone up from last year’s 489.3 to 511.9. But let’s not confuse movement with momentum. True progress in education is not measured in marginal point jumps. It’s measured in meaningful outcomes: confident learners, equipped classrooms, empowered teachers.
Today, too many of our schools are still grappling with basic infrastructure gaps—drinking water, functioning toilets, computer access, teacher monitoring systems. These are not luxuries. They’re non-negotiables in any modern learning environment.
The Normalization of “Good Enough”
A resigned acceptance is worrisome. A casual framing of “at least we improved.” That mindset—where mediocrity becomes tolerable, even defendable—is more dangerous than the number itself.
In a state that proudly hosts tech summits and start up expos, how is it acceptable that a child in a rural school still struggles to access clean water? How it is that teacher performance remains unchecked in many classrooms, while we celebrate digital dashboards elsewhere?
The Danger of Hiding behind Silver Linings
The report mentions that Telangana has performed well in areas like curbing dropout rates, promoting inclusion, and ensuring access to education. Much of this success is thanks to residential schools under tribal, social, and minority welfare departments. That’s commendable—but we must not let islands of excellence hide the larger ocean of inadequacy.
We Need Is a Mindset Reset
Former education officials have rightly pointed to the need for political will. We need moral urgency—a shared conviction that every child in Telangana, no matter their pin code, deserves a school that nurtures curiosity, dignity, and growth.
We need to reimagine education—not as a government deliverable, but as a collective responsibility. That means:
- Investing in infrastructure as if it were a hospital, not a formality
- Training teachers like they’re nation-builders, not placeholders
- Involving parents, communities, and youth in shaping solutions
- Shifting from compliance to competence and care
A Legacy at Stake
Education is where equity begins. It’s where tomorrow is shaped. And if we don’t act now, our children will inherit a future limited not by their potential, but by our inaction.
We must rise beyond patchwork reforms and move towards systemic, scalable transformation. Not for a better rank. Not for recognition. But because anything less would be a betrayal of our children’s right to thrive.
This article was originally published in the July 2025 edition of Brainfeed Magazine.
