SHILLONG : The Voice of the People Party (VPP) has launched a strong attack on the Meghalaya government after the state finished at the bottom of the latest Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0, describing the result as a stark reminder of the challenges facing the education sector.
Addressing reporters, VPP spokesperson A.W. Rani said the findings should serve as a wake-up call for the government, alleging that years of neglect, poor planning and weak implementation have left the state’s education system struggling to deliver quality outcomes for students.
According to the PGI 2.0 report released by the Ministry of Education, Meghalaya secured an overall score of 417.9 out of 1,000, placing it in the lowest category, Akanshi-3. The party noted that Meghalaya was the only state in the country to fall into that grade.
Rani said the figures reflect deeper structural problems rather than isolated shortcomings.
“The report paints a disturbing picture of the condition of education in Meghalaya. This is not merely about rankings. It is about the future of thousands of students whose opportunities are being compromised by systemic failures,” he said.
The VPP pointed to several indicators where Meghalaya performed poorly, including governance processes, school infrastructure, teacher education and learning outcomes.
The party highlighted that the state scored 40.5 out of 130 in Governance Processes, 62.1 out of 190 in Infrastructure and Facilities, 46.7 out of 100 in Teacher Education and Training, and 47.2 out of 240 in Learning Outcomes.
According to the opposition party, the low scores suggest persistent issues in teacher recruitment, monitoring mechanisms, fund utilisation, school facilities and classroom learning standards.Rani alleged that thousands of teaching positions remain vacant across the state, placing additional pressure on existing staff and affecting the quality of education delivered in schools.
“Students cannot be expected to perform well when schools face shortages of teachers, inadequate infrastructure and weak academic support systems,” he said.
The VPP also compared Meghalaya’s performance with neighbouring states, arguing that others facing similar geographical and logistical challenges have managed to register better outcomes. The party cited Assam’s improvement in recent years and noted that states such as Mizoram and Nagaland recorded stronger performances despite operating under comparable conditions.
Related : Meghalaya still India’s lowest-ranked State in School Education despite years of reform claims
Questioning the government’s priorities, the VPP said substantial public expenditure on development projects should be matched by equal attention to strengthening the education sector.
“Education should not be treated as a secondary concern. The government must explain why Meghalaya continues to lag behind while other states are moving forward,” Rani said.
The party warned that failure to address the underlying problems could have long-term consequences for the state’s youth and workforce. Calling for urgent intervention, the VPP urged the government to prioritise teacher appointments, improve school infrastructure, strengthen accountability mechanisms and focus on learning outcomes.
“The future of Meghalaya depends on the quality of education we provide today. Unless corrective measures are taken immediately, it is the students who will continue to pay the price,” the VPP spokesperson added.
