Chandigarh, May 10 (PTI) Punjab has been recognised as one of India’s best-performing states in school education, with the NITI Aayog Education Quality Report 2026 placing it ahead of Kerala, state government officials said on Sunday.
Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains hailed the achievement as the beginning of ‘Punjab’s era’ driven by systemic reforms and grassroots dedication.
“This honour belongs to every parent, student and teacher who refused to give up on government schools. This is not a one day miracle. When policy, intent and execution walk together, results follow,” he said.
Sharing details of the report, he said, “Punjab recorded 82 per cent proficiency in language and 78 per cent in mathematics in Class 3, surpassing Kerala’s 75 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.” In class 9 Mathematics, Punjab scored 52 per cent, significantly higher than Kerala’s 45 per cent, said Bains in a statement.
Highlighting the impact of the Punjab government’s reforms, the minister continued, “Punjab government’s post-COVID pandemic recovery push through ‘Mission Samarth’ and the ‘Schools of Eminence’ programme has yielded tangible results.” Citing findings from the NITI Aayog report, Bains said over 90 per cent of class 10 students now transition smoothly to class 11, indicating a sharp decline in dropout rates. The student teacher ratio has also been improved to an ideal 22:1.
Reacting to report, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said in line with the dictum ‘You reap what you sow’, the state has invested sincerely in education.
“The state government upgraded primary and middle school education, strengthened the system, introduced smart classrooms and provided advanced training to teachers. Today, the results of those efforts have started showing. The state government sowed well, so now it is reaping excellent results,” Mann said in a statement.
Mann said Punjab has surpassed Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi to secure the number one position in primary and middle school education.
Sharing details of the state’s digital education progress, he added, “Punjab is ahead of Haryana in digital education as well. In smart classrooms, Punjab secured 80.1 per cent whereas Haryana was at 50.3 per cent.
In internet facilities in schools, Punjab is at 88.9 per cent whereas Haryana is at 78.9 per cent. In electricity facilities in schools, Punjab has an impressive 99.9 per cent, while computer availability in schools stands at 99 per cent.
Earlier, Kerala held the top position, but now Punjab has claimed the number one rank with a huge margin,” said Mann.
Referring to the report’s observations, education minister Bains said, “The NITI Aayog report specifically praised Punjab for bridging the urban rural divide in education and ensuring equal opportunities for village students and girls.
Punjab’s adoption of global best practices has led to a sharp rise in competitive exam success among government school students. As many as 786 government school students have cleared JEE Main and 1,284 students have qualified for NEET so far.” Sharing details of teacher training and infrastructure expansion, the Punjab education minister stated, “Teacher training programmes in Finland and Singapore, rolled out under the state’s education reforms, have translated into results on the ground.
“This shows our classrooms can compete with the best. Punjab has recruited 13,000 teachers and staff and rolled out the English Edge Programme for nearly 3 lakh students, besides establishing 118 Schools of Eminence,” the minister said.
“With the right policy, intent and performance, quality education is inevitable. Our teachers have proved it,” Bains added, while noting that, “NITI Aayog has now validated what the state has been seeing on the ground. Government school children are not just catching up, they are leading.” PTI CHS SKY SKY
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