Punjab Claims It Beat Kerala, Delhi To Claim Top Spot In School Education

Punjab has secured the top position in school education in India, according to the latest Education Quality Report 2026, the state government said on Monday.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government said Punjab was ranked 22nd in school education in 2016-17 during the Shiromani Akali Dal government, slipped to 26th in 2018-19, and further dropped to 27th in 2020 under the Congress government.

The AAP government, which came to power in 2022, said the state has now secured the top position, ahead of Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi.

The state government said Punjab recorded 82 per cent proficiency in Grade 3 language learning, compared to Kerala's 75 per cent, according to the NITI Aayog report. In Grade 3 mathematics, Punjab scored 78 per cent against Kerala's 70 per cent. In Grade 9 mathematics, Punjab registered a performance level of 52 per cent, while Kerala stood at 45 per cent.

The state also mentioned improvements in school facilities. It said electricity is available in 99.9 per cent of government schools, while 99 per cent have functional computers. More than 80 per cent of schools now have smart classrooms. Nearly 89 per cent have internet connectivity, while Haryana stands at 78.9 per cent. 

The government says Punjab has overtaken several states, including Haryana, where Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been in power for 12 years. 

"Punjab's smart classroom availability stands at 80.1 percent, compared to Haryana's 50.3 per cent," the government said. "Perhaps the most striking fact is that even government schools in Gurugram, Haryana's most prosperous and technologically advanced city, perform significantly behind Punjab's lowest-ranked districts," it added.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said education has been a key focus of his government. Teachers have been sent to countries such as Finland and Singapore for training, while more than 13,000 teachers and staff members have been recruited, according to the government.

The state said 786 students from government schools cleared JEE Main and 1,284 students qualified NEET. It also mentioned the launch of 118 Schools of Eminence and the English Edge programme, which benefits over three lakh students.

Students in Punjab's government schools now have access to smart classrooms, digital learning tools, internet facilities, modern laboratories and upgraded school infrastructure. The government said these measures are helping create learning environments comparable to those in developed countries.

"A state that once ranked 27th in the country now stands proudly at No 1. This is not merely the story of educational reform, it is the story of a new Punjab," the government said.