Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains Says State Tops NITI Aayog School Index

Punjab’s education minister, Harjot Singh Bains, told the state assembly that Punjab has moved to the top of the NITI Aayog School Education Quality Index 2026, overtaking Kerala. The minister highlighted that in 2022 many government schools lacked basic infrastructure—over 8,000 schools had no walls, 3,200 lacked usable bathrooms, and around 400,000 children were forced to sit on mats while studying.

Bains said the situation has improved dramatically: 882 students from government schools have passed the NEET‑UG exam, and Punjab has become the first Indian state to introduce Artificial Intelligence as a core subject from class 1 through class 12. He credited the “Mission Samarth” programme, which uses a level‑based teaching model that groups children by learning ability rather than grade, covering about 1.2 million students and more than 70,000 teachers. The minister also noted that textbooks now reach district headquarters by mid‑February and are distributed by the end of March, a significant improvement over previous delays.

The minister’s report emphasized ongoing school visits, identification of low‑performing students, and targeted remedial teaching, claiming that these measures have led to measurable gains in student performance across the state.