Chandigarh, March 30: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday declared that Punjab has emerged as the leading state in school education across India, overtaking Kerala in the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2024. Presenting a comprehensive four-year report card of the “Shiksha Kranti” initiative, the Chief Minister affirmed that the state’s government schools are now operating at par with private institutions.
The Chief Minister stated that the transformation is fueled by a significant increase in financial commitment, with the education budget rising to ₹19,279 crore for the 2026–27 fiscal year. He noted that this represents a substantial jump from the ₹12,657 crore allocated in 2021–22, marking education as the highest priority of the current administration.
“Countries that prioritised education have progressed in every field,” Mann declared during the press conference. He maintained that previous regimes had reduced schools to mere centers for midday meals, whereas the current government has focused on measurable academic outcomes and structural reforms.
The report highlighted that 740 students from government schools cleared the JEE while 1,284 cracked the NEET exam recently. The Chief Minister asserted that 60 “Schools of Eminence” are already operational out of a planned 118, providing specialized coaching for competitive exams including CLAT and Armed Forces preparations.
Furthering the “Shiksha Kranti,” the state is launching a second phase of reforms with a ₹3,500 crore investment in partnership with the World Bank. Mann affirmed that Punjab is the only state to provide high-speed fiber Wi-Fi in all government schools, supported by a dedicated ₹20 crore budget.
“The day isn’t far when students from Canada and Australia will come to Punjab for quality education,” the Chief Minister maintained, adding that the state has maintained a record of zero paper leaks over the last four years.
