Presenting the four-and-a-half-year status report of school education, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said that the Bhagwant Mann government has transformed the Punjab’s education system through a ₹2,300 crore reform programme, with Punjab surpassing Kerala to emerge as No. 1 in school education in the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog Report 2026-27.

Presenting the status report at a press conference at Punjab Bhawan on Tuesday, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said that 3.64 lakh students have shifted from private schools to government schools since 2022, reflecting the growing public trust in government schools. He attributed the transformation to the sustained focus of the state government on strengthening government schools since assuming office in March 2022.

Recalling the AAP’s electoral promise, Minister Harjot Singh Bains pointed out, “AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and CM Bhagwant Singh Mann went to every village and city and asked for one chance to fix Punjab’s government schools. The people of Punjab showed their progressive mindset by giving 92 seats to the AAP on this very narrative. We honoured that trust.”

The Education Minister noted, “The education system we inherited in 2022 was in shambles. A majority of schools had no boundary walls. Over 5,000 schools had no functional toilets. 4 lakh children were forced to sit on the floor. 500 schools had no drinking water. And textbooks arrived 5 months late. This was the reality of Punjab’s education.”

Highlighting the scale of infrastructure transformation, he said, “The Bhagwant Mann government has invested ₹2,300 crore in school infrastructure, averaging ₹15 lakh per school, in the last four and a half years. As a result, 13,920 new toilets have been constructed and every school in the state now has functional toilets. 2 lakh desks have been distributed, ensuring that no child sits on the floor today.”

“Over 9,000 new classrooms and labs have been built, while over 10,000 interactive panels have been installed in classrooms. In addition, 5,012 schools have been upgraded with advanced computer labs. All government schools in Punjab have now been equipped with Wi-Fi,” he added.

Pointing to the pace of infrastructure development, Minister Harjot Singh Bains said, “Think about this, 9,000 new classrooms have been constructed by our government. Calculate the days and divide. See how many were built every single day.”

Highlighting the expansion of facilities in government schools, the Minister said, “Government schools now boast sports facilities previously reserved for private institutions, including swimming pools, shooting ranges, basketball and tennis courts, Kabaddi mats, wrestling and boxing rings.”

He said, “The Bhagwant Mann government gave unprecedented exposure to teachers. Over multiple batches, principals were sent to Singapore, primary teachers to Finland and headmasters to IIM Ahmedabad for training.”

Speaking about security and maintenance in schools, Minister Harjot Singh Bains stated, “Ex-Army personnel have been deployed as campus managers in all senior secondary schools. In addition, two security guards have been posted at every senior secondary school with over 500 students. Monthly cleaning funds ranging from ₹3,000 to ₹50,000 are now being provided to schools based on student strength.”

Highlighting the improvement in academic outcomes, the Education Minister said, “786 government school students qualified JEE and 2,166 cracked NEET in the last four years. NEET-UG qualifiers from government schools jumped from just 80 in 2021 to 882 in 2026, a more than 10-fold increase. The year-wise growth shows 437 qualifiers in 2024, 847 in 2025, and 882 this year. 361 students qualified for JEE Mains, with 64 cracking JEE Advanced.”

“Most importantly, 3.64 lakh students have moved from private to government schools since 2022. This proves the growing public trust in government schools,” he pointed out.

Highlighting Punjab’s performance in learning outcomes, Minister Harjot Singh Bains said, “Punjab topped the NITI Aayog Report 2026-27 in classroom learning outcomes, leaving behind Kerala, which was previously considered the gold standard in school education.”

Speaking about innovation in education, the Education Minister said, “Punjab became the first state to introduce Artificial Intelligence as a core subject from Class I to XII. The Business Blasters programme gave 2.30 lakh students real business experience. The government provided ₹29 crore in seed money and students earned ₹3 crore in profit.”

He added that the Bhagwant Mann government has also opened 40 dedicated skill education schools for students who dropped out after Class 10, with the objective of bringing them back into the education system.

Highlighting measures to reduce the financial burden on families, Minister Harjot Singh Bains said, “The cost of education in the country remains a serious issue. In Punjab, we have tried to provide relief to parents. The government has capped annual school fee increases at a maximum of 5 per cent.”

Speaking about accessibility for government school students, the Education Minister noted, “Punjab introduced free bus services for government school students, benefiting over 15,000 students daily across hundreds of schools.”

He also added, “Despite two devastating floods in 2023 and 2025 that damaged over 7,000 schools in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ropar, Ferozepur and Fazilka, the government remained committed to education. Working with the World Bank, 500 seriously damaged schools are being restored, with most expected to be completed within six months.”

Emphasising his commitment to taking Punjab’s school education system further, Minister Harjot Singh Bains said, “I have personally visited over 2,000 schools. No district is left. Education is my passion, this is my obsession. 20,000 schools in Punjab and I am on a mission. In 2 years, Punjab will be the first state to say: not one school lacks anything. For us education is top priority.”

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Ajnala Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, along with a delegation comprising sarpanches, chairmen and Zila Parishad members from the constituency, met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday and urged him to take up the long-pending issues of recurring floods, construction of the Ujh Dam and development of the border region with the Central Government.

Highlighting the plight of the people of Ajnala, MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said, “Every year, the people of Ajnala suffer massive destruction due to the waters of the Ravi and Ujh rivers. The water of the Ujh River, which originates from Jammu and Kashmir, passes through Pathankot, Sujanpur, Dinanagar, Gurdaspur and Dera Baba Nanak before reaching Ajnala and then flowing into Pakistan. By the time it reaches Ajnala, it causes massive destruction. Farmers lose their crops, roads are damaged, schools collapse and fertile agricultural land is washed away.”

He further said, “The continuous threat of floods has also affected the economic development of the region. No one is willing to establish industries in an area where there is a constant fear of floods and destruction. The people of Ajnala deserve permanent protection from this recurring crisis and a clear path towards sustainable development.”

Drawing the Governor’s attention to the long-pending proposal for construction of a dam on the Ujh River, the AAP MLA stated, “The Central Government’s plan to construct a dam on the Ujh River has been pending for the last 10 to 12 years. I have requested the Governor to strongly raise this issue with the Prime Minister and the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti so that the construction of the dam can be completed at the earliest.”

Explaining the importance of the project, he said, “The construction of the Ujh Dam will provide a permanent solution to the recurring flood threat to a large extent. Along with flood control, the project will generate electricity, provide canals for irrigation and create employment opportunities for the youth. This can become a major step towards the economic and social development of the border region.”

Calling for greater focus on border areas, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said, “If the Central Government wants to fulfil the dream of a Developed India, it will have to focus on the development of border areas along with major cities. If border areas continue to remain neglected in this manner, the country’s overall development will remain incomplete. The people living in these areas make an important contribution to the security and strength of the country and they deserve better infrastructure, employment opportunities and protection from recurring natural disasters.”

Raising another pending issue, the AAP MLA stated, “I also brought to the Governor’s notice the ₹1,600 crore compensation announced by the Prime Minister last time, which has still not been received. The people of the affected areas are waiting for this assistance and the matter needs to be resolved at the earliest.”

Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that the Governor heard the delegation patiently and assured them that he would soon arrange a meeting between the delegation and the Union Jal Shakti Minister. He said the Governor also assured the delegation that efforts would be made to resolve the issues raised by the people of Ajnala.