Punjab beats Kerala in NITI Aayog rankings

In a significant education reform, Punjab has surpassed Kerala to claim the top spot in the NITI Aayog School Education Quality Index 2026, according to Punjab's Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains. The minister claimed that Punjab has made remarkable progress in transforming its education system, overcoming challenges such as inadequate infrastructure and poor student performance.

Bains highlighted several key achievements, including the introduction of Artificial Intelligence as a core subject in schools, a surge in NEET-UG qualifiers from government schools, and the introduction of the 'Mission Samarth' program, which focuses on foundational learning. The minister emphasized that textbooks now reach schools within two months of publication, up from four months, and that government schools are distributing textbooks by the end of March.

Under the 'Punjab Academic Coaching for Excellence' (PACE) initiative, the minister reported that the number of NEET-UG qualifiers from Punjab's government schools has increased from 80 in 2021 to 882 in 2026. This success is attributed to targeted interventions, such as teaching students from Class 3 syllabus level, which has improved student performance in basic literacy and numeracy skills.

The minister also mentioned that six NEET qualifiers from government schools in Majitha and 17 from Dinanagar demonstrate the effectiveness of the government's efforts.

Bains defended his government against opposition criticism, asserting that declining enrollment in government schools is a nationwide trend post-COVID and not unique to Punjab. He pointed to data from other states, such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra, where enrollment in government schools has declined significantly. To address this issue, the minister highlighted the implementation of the APAAR ID initiative, which assigns a unique identification number to each student, ensuring that they are enrolled in only one school and are actively studying.

The minister also showcased several 'Schools of Eminence' transformed by the government, including a Ludhiana School named after Shaheed Sukhdev Thapar, where 17 students cleared NEET this year. He emphasized that the government's focus is on improving the quality of education in government schools and eliminating the need for teachers to seek donations.

Bains concluded by stating that the government is committed to making government schools the first choice for students and will continue to strive for excellence in the education sector.