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@article{184188,
        author = {Aynul Hoque Choudhury},
        title = {A Study on Assessment Reforms in the Context of NEP 2020: Issues, Challenges and Innovations in Rural Assam},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2025},
        volume = {12},
        number = {4},
        pages = {597-604},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=184188},
        abstract = {Assessment reform is a cornerstone of India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which seeks to move schools from rote-based evaluation toward competency-based, formative, and holistic assessment. While policy blueprints are clear, their translation in rural settings is uneven due to capacity, resource, and contextual constraints. This study examines issues, challenges, and emergent innovations in implementing assessment reforms in rural Assam. Drawing on a review of policy provisions and field-informed insights from government and provincialized schools, the paper maps (i) the shift from high-stakes summative examinations to continuous, classroom-embedded assessment, (ii) the introduction of 360-degree progress cards and foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) benchmarks, and (iii) the roles of teacher professional development, community engagement, and low-cost edtech. Key challenges include large multi-grade classrooms, language diversity, limited assessment literacy, inadequate tools and rubrics, and misalignment between classroom assessment and board/selection examinations. Yet promising innovations are visible: context-adapted rubrics, peer and self-assessment routines, item banks aligned to learning outcomes, integration of local culture and multilingual tasks, and school-cluster communities of practice. The paper proposes a practical framework—“RURAL-A” (Readiness mapping, Using local evidence, Rubric culture, Assessment for learning cycles, Linkages to remediation, Accountability with support)—to scaffold implementation. Implications for policy and practice include investment in assessment literacy, assessment-aligned remediation, multilingual tools, and lightweight monitoring through supportive mentoring rather than compliance checks.},
        keywords = {NEP 2020; competency-based assessment; holistic progress card; rural Assam; formative assessment; foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN); teacher assessment literacy},
        month = {September},
        }