CHANDIGARH-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.”
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.”