The Opposition Indian National Congress in Madhya Pradesh has raised sharp questions over the state's school education performance, pointing out that not a single district crossed the 60 per cent mark in the Union Education Ministry's Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D) 2025-26. The critique, backed by central government data, puts the Mohan Yadav-led administration on the defensive over learning outcomes, infrastructure, and digital readiness across the state.

Congress Letter to Chief Minister

State Congress president Jitu Patwari wrote to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday, 29 August, highlighting that the best-performing district in Madhya Pradesh scored only 333 out of 600 points — equivalent to 55.5 per cent — in the assessment. 'The situation of Madhya Pradesh in this report should be considered a serious report card of your government's education system. Not a single district of Madhya Pradesh has crossed the 60 per cent mark,' Patwari said in the letter.

What PGI-D 2025-26 Measured

The PGI-D 2025-26 evaluated the school education systems of 784 districts across India on 70 indicators, spanning learning outcomes, infrastructure, school safety and child protection, digital learning, and governance. The index is compiled by the Union Ministry of Education using data from government sources including UDISE+, PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, and PRABANDH.

District-Level Gaps Highlighted

Patwari cited specific district figures to illustrate the breadth of the shortfall. Bhopal scored approximately 47 per cent in learning outcomes and 37 per cent in school safety. Indore recorded around 41 per cent in school facilities and 47 per cent in learning outcomes. Digital learning emerged as a particularly weak area: Sagar scored around 24 per cent, Dhar around 20 per cent, Agar-Malwa around 28 per cent, and Barwani as low as 16 per cent in that parameter.

'These figures have not been arrived at through a Congress survey. They are based on the assessment system of the Union Ministry of Education,' Patwari emphasised, underscoring that the criticism draws from the ruling party's own central government data — a pointed political manoeuvre.

Congress Demands

The state Congress chief outlined a set of specific demands: a district-wise public review of PGI-D results, time-bound plans to improve learning outcomes, and audits of digital resources, internet connectivity, smart classes, and teacher training in every district scoring below 30 per cent in digital learning. He also called for safety audits in districts performing poorly on school safety and child protection, and quarterly reviews of learning outcomes at the Chief Minister's level.

'The future of children in Madhya Pradesh is not a subject for political propaganda. You are running the government, so you will have to answer,' Patwari wrote. The state government had not issued a formal response to the letter at the time of reporting.

Broader Context

This is not the first time Madhya Pradesh's school education system has drawn scrutiny. The PGI-D framework, introduced to benchmark district-level performance nationally, has consistently exposed wide intra-state disparities in large states. Notably, the Congress's use of central government-sourced data limits the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s room to contest the figures on methodological grounds. With assembly session reviews approaching, the letter is likely to intensify pressure on the education department to present a credible improvement roadmap.