Chandigarh, August 7 — Punjab has secured the top rank in the national school education quality rankings, surpassing Kerala, following a multi-year effort to modernize public school infrastructure and academic standards across the state.
Addressing the Vidhan Sabha during a discussion on an education resolution, School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains presented a four-year transformation report detailing the state’s progress since 2022. The minister affirmed that the state now leads the country in school education standards under the NITI Aayog index, supported by core curriculum updates such as introducing artificial intelligence from primary classes onwards.
Reflecting on the baseline conditions recorded in 2022, Bains noted that early surveys identified over 8,000 public schools without boundary walls and 3,200 facilities lacking functional toilets. Textbook delivery timelines have since been restructured, moving from late-year distributions to complete pre-session delivery across districts by March.
“Target me personally if you want, but why are you targeting government schools?” Bains stated while addressing opposition remarks regarding enrolment figures. He maintained that shifting post-pandemic demographics and the implementation of unique student identification tracking systems accounted for recent corrections in school enrolment data nationwide.
According to the official report, the government has invested ₹2,638 crore into upgrading 19,125 schools, with an additional ₹1,000 crore in World Bank funding approved for future projects. Academic initiatives like the level-based foundational learning program and specialized coaching frameworks have led to 882 public school students qualifying for national medical entrance tests this year.
