New Delhi, Jan. 30 -- Economic Survey 2025-26 emphasizes a shift from input-based education to a "learning outcome" assessment framework that measures actual competencies instead of years of schooling or course completion. It notes that despite improved enrolment at all levels of schooling, "learning outcomes remain uneven across regions, social groups, and institutions," weakening employability and productivity. To address this, the survey calls for strengthening the National Achievement Survey (NAS) which assesses the learning competencies of students in grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, and introducing "a PISA-like competency-based assessment at the end of Class 10" to benchmark student learning. Created by Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co...