The State Planning Board has raised serious concerns over Meghalaya’s dismal ranking in the Ministry of Education’s Performance Grading Index (PGI) for 2021-22, where the state was placed at the bottom.
The PGI rankings are based on a number of parameters, such as accessibility, network and infrastructure. Two other North Eastern states – Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh – were judged to be equally bad as Meghalaya and they were jointly the three poorest performers.
Meghalaya scored 420.6, while Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh scored 453.4 and 458.5 respectively.
Planning Board Chairman Metbah Lyngdoh told reporters, after a review meeting with the Education Department on Tuesday, that it was disheartening to see Meghalaya, once home to Shillong—the country’s former educational hub—slipping so far behind. “This is a matter of concern, and those in positions of responsibility must acknowledge the problem and understand the steps required to address it,” he said.
Lyngdoh noted that while the department has initiated steps to revisit its policies, significant gaps remain—particularly in terms of equity among teachers.
He pointed out the stark disparity in salaries despite teachers across categories following the same syllabus. “It is unfair that some teachers are not being paid adequately. While deficit and semi-government school teachers earn around Rs 70,000, SSA teachers receive only Rs 21, 000,” he stated.
The Chairman also acknowledged the government’s ambitious plan to bring all schools under its purview, calling it a challenging yet necessary move. Citing data, he said nearly 57 per cent of teachers in the state are untrained—one of the key reasons for Meghalaya’s poor performance.
During the meeting, the Planning Board was also briefed on the Education Department’s proposed Meghalaya Education Grant. Lyngdoh said the model looks promising and emphasized that the government has committed to engaging all stakeholders before finalising any decision.
