Ludhiana: Punjab tops education rankings in India, says minister Sond

Addressing a parents-teachers workshop at Kishori Lal Jethi (Girls) School of Eminence in Khanna, the minister interacted with teachers and parents and described the large turnout as an encouraging sign of growing public confidence in government schools

Punjab cabinet minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on Saturday claimed that the state has secured the top position in the education sector across India, citing major reforms and infrastructure upgrades in government schools over the past three years.

To strengthen student safety and hygiene, he said 1,378 security guards and watchmen, 1,809 campus managers and 8,502 sanitation workers have been deployed across schools (Manish/HT)

Addressing a parents-teachers workshop at Kishori Lal Jethi (Girls) School of Eminence in Khanna, the minister interacted with teachers and parents and described the large turnout as an encouraging sign of growing public confidence in government schools.Sond claimed that the state government has carried out unprecedented work in the education sector and that the Centre has ranked Punjab number one in the latest evaluation, surpassing Kerala.

He said nearly 80,000 students had shifted from private schools to government institutions. Since 2022, around 10,900 classrooms have been constructed or renovated and 10,487 teachers recruited to ensure that no student is left without a teacher. The minister further claimed that Punjab has become the first state to provide high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity in all government schools as part of the digital push.

To strengthen student safety and hygiene, he said 1,378 security guards and watchmen, 1,809 campus managers and 8,502 sanitation workers have been deployed across schools.Highlighting academic outcomes, Sond said more than 261 students from government schools had cleared entrance tests for IITs, while 847 students had qualified for MBBS admissions.

He added that 100 % clean and functional toilets are now available in all government schools, with over 10,000 new toilets constructed or renovated.Sond also claimed that nursery classes on the pattern of private schools have been introduced and that no student in a government school in Punjab now has to sit on the floor, as desks have been provided to all. He said the education system under chief minister Bhagwant Mann has been upgraded to a level comparable with or better than private schools.