Beyond Memory to Meaning Making: The 5-year flourish of holistic learning through NEP2020

By Indrani Bhaduri

Assessment in India has undergone a systemic shift with the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Prior to its introduction, the school assessment landscape was fragmented, unregulated, and highly exam-centric. There was no uniformity in standards, norms, or guidelines across various forms of assessments, whether formative, summative, board-level, or large-scale surveys.

Assessments operated without a clear benchmark, resulting in inconsistent practices among schools, leading to unreliable reflections of student learning and development. This ambiguity further manifested in an overemphasis on summative evaluation, which not only intensified exam phobia among students but also encouraged rote learning over real understanding.

Establishment of PARAKH

In contrast, the NEP 2020 envisioned assessment as a tool to promote learning, and not merely to measure it. With the establishment of PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) as the National Assessment Centre, India moved decisively toward a competency-based framework.

PARAKH plays a pivotal role in setting clear norms and guidelines for school assessments across the country, working closely with school boards to ensure equivalence in standards and introducing mechanisms such as the State School Standards Authority (SSSA) and the School Quality Assessment and Assurance Framework (SQAAF). These reforms have institutionalised quality benchmarks across all states, enabling more equitable and outcome-driven education systems.

Competency-based assessment

One of the critical changes ushered in post-NEP 2020 has been the shift from rote memorisation to competency-based assessment. This transformation is grounded in the learning outcomes articulated through the National Curriculum Frameworks (NCFFS and NCFSE). The previous focus on content recall has now been replaced with an emphasis on conceptual clarity and multidimensional skill acquisition.

Assessment design, once heavily dependent on marks and grades, now integrates rubric-based formative assessments and introduces credit-based recognition for learning undertaken both within and outside the formal school system.

The revised structure also brings clarity and purpose to schooling. Unlike the previous no-detention policy, which often led to students being promoted without mastering foundational competencies, NEP 2020 introduced school-level examinations at Grades 3, 5, and 8. The assessments are designed to be competency-based, with a provision for detention in grades 5 and 8 only after structured remedial support and re-evaluation opportunities thus signalling a shift towards accountability with empathy.

Meanwhile, to ease the burden of high-stakes board exams, students are now allowed to appear for them twice a year, reducing anxiety and offering flexibility for improved performance.

Introduction of holistic progress card (HPC)

A major innovation is the HPC, conceptualised and implemented by PARAKH. Replacing the one-dimensional report card system, the HPC tracks the learner’s progress across cognitive, socio-emotional, and psychomotor domains, aligning with the Panchakosha framework.

Assessment is no longer seen as a terminal act of evaluation but a continuous and inclusive process that involves self-assessment, peer assessment, and teacher feedback. This shift from product-based to process-based, and from teacher-centric to learner-centric, marks a philosophical and practical redefinition of assessment in India.

Further, authentic and real-time assessment practices are now being encouraged over the traditional pen-paper models. These are designed to assess what the learner can do in real contexts, echoing global best practices. A robust move away from purely quantitative measures towards qualitative evidence-based assessment enables a more comprehensive understanding of a learner’s growth.

PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan

Another milestone post-NEP 2020 is the systemic introduction of large-scale assessments aligned to the stages of schooling, rather than arbitrary grade levels.

The new assessments, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan conducted in Grades 3, 6, and 9 provide a more accurate representation of the baseline competencies at the end of the foundational, preparatory, and middle stages of education.

This design supports meaningful diagnostics and targeted interventions, helping policymakers, teachers, and school leaders make informed decisions. In areas that were previously overlooked, such as the equivalence of school boards, PARAKH has taken up a central role.

By identifying and defining domains of equivalence, especially in the area of assessment design and blueprinting, PARAKH has begun the process of standardising expectations across different education boards. This ensures that all students, regardless of the board they study under, are evaluated on comparable learning standards, thus promoting national-level fairness and mobility.

Also readPARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan: Even among top schools, 30% lack resources, 50% need repairs

The equivalence process helps to benchmark the best practices in assessments, thereby defining the standards and the norms to be adhered to by the school educational boards.

In PARAKH, the assessment reform journey has also focused on improving the quality ecosystem of schools. The establishment of SSSA at the state level and the rollout of SQAAF has introduced much-needed structures to support schools in setting and meeting quality benchmarks, thus ensuring that assessment reforms are not in isolation but embedded within the broader school improvement framework.

Journey ahead

The shift in assessment philosophy before and after NEP 2020 represents a significant evolution in India’s education landscape. What was once a rigid, high-stakes, summative system is now transitioning into a dynamic, student-centered, competency-oriented, and holistic assessment paradigm.

Guided by the visionary stewardship of PARAKH, these transformative assessment reforms not only resonate with global benchmarks but are deeply rooted in India’s rich diversity. They open the doors of opportunity for every child, recognising each learner’s unique journey, nurturing their hidden potential, and evaluating them through a lens of equity, empathy, and excellence.

In doing so, they plant the seeds of an inclusive and enlightened future of education.

Indrani Bhaduri is a professor as well as CEO and head of PARAKH NCERT