Lok Sabha Question No. 9 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-18
Subject: Programme for International Student Assessment
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Vishnu Dayal Ram

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 9 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.07.2022

## Programme for International Student Assessment

## †9. SHRI VISHNU DAYAL RAM:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether India participates in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to assess the Mathematics and Science literacy and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether there is any alternative mechanism for comparing the educational status of India with other countries and if so, the details thereof; and

(c) whether the Government proposes to collect data on existing gender gaps in achievements in the fields of science technology, engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Environment, Forests and Climate Change ?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a)   The Government of India had decided to participate in the Programme for International Students Assessment  (PISA)  2022  to  be  conducted  by  the  Organization  for  Economic  Cooperation  and Development (OECD). However, Government of India relooked at the issue of participation of India in  PISA  2022  in  view  of  the  impact  of  COVID  pandemic  and  the  stressful  situation  for  children arising  due  to  closure  of  schools  for  a  long  period  in  the  country.  Further,  the  vaccination  of population  below  18  years  including  children  was  not  started  by  that  time.  Also  to  assess  the situation, a sample based survey through National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2021 was conducted on 12/11/2021 across the country.

(b)   In the field of Higher Education, the educational status of Indian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs),  viz-a-viz  HEIs  in  other  countries  are  assessed  through  ranking  of  universities  at  a global/regional  level  by  a  few  well-known  and  credible  ranking  frameworks  such  as  the  Times Higher Education (THE) Rankings, QS World University Rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds, and

Academic Ranking of World Universities  (ARWU) conducted by Shanghai Jiao Tong  University, Shanghai. In the QS World University Rankings 2023 released in June 2022, three Indian institutions made it to the top 200.

(c)   Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education releases the Report on All India Survey on  Higher  Education  (AISHE),  which  collects  data identifying gender  gap  in Science  and Technology  is  supporting  projects  on  data  collection  in  Science,  Technology,  Engineering  and Mathematics  (STEM)  and  Environment,  Forests  and  Climate  Change.    Also,  the  Inter-Academy Panel on 'Women in Science' in India - comprising of India's three key national science academies; the Indian Academy of Sciences (IASc) Bangalore, The Indian National Science Academy (INSA), Delhi  and  the  National  Academy  of  Sciences  India  (NASI)  Allahabad  -  in  2016  had  released  the 'Women in Science & Technology: A Vision Document', which paved the path forward for fulfilling the gender gap in STEM and allied fields. The link to the study: http://www.nasi.nic.in/report%20%20women%20in%20science%20&%20technology%20-a%20vision%20document.pdf .

In  addition,  Department  of  Science  and  Technology  (DST) is  supporting  projects  on  data collection  in  Science,  Technology,  Engineering  and  Mathematics  (STEM).    DST  has  published  a report 'Research & Development Statistics at a Glance 2019-20' which also includes gender gaps existing in achievements within the fields of STEM.

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