Harjot Bains, Manish Sisodia credit teachers and school heads for improving competitive exam results

Chandigarh, 30 July (H.S.): Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and AAP Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia on Thursday felicitated more than 300 principals of government schools whose students qualified JEE Main, JEE Advanced and NEET-UG 2026 examinations under the Punjab Academic Coaching for Excellence initiative.

The felicitation ceremony was held at Mohali Club in SAS Nagar. Addressing the gathering, Bains said Punjab government schools had once again achieved remarkable results in national-level competitive examinations.

He said 361 students qualified JEE Main 2026, registering an increase of 35.2 per cent compared to the previous year. As many as 64 students cleared JEE Advanced, reflecting a year-on-year rise of 45.5 per cent.

The minister said 882 students from Punjab government schools qualified NEET-UG 2026, compared to 847 in 2025 and 437 in 2024. He said the number had increased by more than 100 per cent in two years, reflecting the impact of the Punjab Sikhya Kranti and improved academic support in government schools.

Bains said 10 government school students had secured admission to Indian Institutes of Technology, while 36 students gained admission to National Institutes of Technology. More than 90 students had also secured seats in government engineering colleges across the country.

He said these results showed that students from Punjab government schools were now capable of entering the country’s leading educational institutions.

Highlighting the role of school heads, Bains said a dedicated principal could transform even a poorly maintained school into a centre of learning. He added that policies could succeed only when principals and teachers had a genuine commitment towards education.

The minister said the School Education Department had organised four large residential coaching camps in June 2026 at Amritsar, Bathinda, Jalandhar and Mohali. Around 3,000 students benefited from intensive academic sessions, mock tests, doubt-clearing classes, mentoring and focused preparation for JEE and NEET.

Congratulating the principals, Bains expressed confidence that teachers and school staff would continue contributing to the education reforms with the same dedication.

Speaking on the occasion, Manish Sisodia said buildings alone did not make schools. He said governments could construct infrastructure, but teachers transformed schools into places of learning, ambition and opportunity.

Sisodia said the Punjab Sikhya Kranti aimed to provide world-class infrastructure along with expert coaching, structured mentoring, regular assessments and residential programmes.

He said government schools were no longer seen as a compromise by students and parents, but as gateways to IITs, NITs, medical colleges and better career opportunities. PDC member Anurag Kundu, Director School Education (Secondary) S.S. Bal and other senior officials of the Education Department were also present.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH