Chandigarh, May 14
Punjab’s government schools recorded a major milestone in the Class 12 results announced by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB), with 416 schools achieving a 100 percent pass rate under the state government’s education reforms. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann congratulated students after three girls, Supneet Kaur from Mansa and Suhani Chauhan and Divyanshi from Ludhiana, secured a perfect score of 500 out of 500 marks in the examinations. The Chief Minister honoured the toppers with a cash award of ₹50,000 each.
Girls once again outperformed boys in the results, continuing a trend seen in recent years. According to official data, girls recorded a pass percentage of 94.73%, while boys achieved 88.52%. The overall pass percentage stood at 91.46%, with nearly 2.42 lakh students clearing the examination out of around 2.65 lakh candidates who appeared this year.
Government schools also made a strong mark in the merit list. Of the 275 students featured, 122 were from government institutions, reflecting what the state government described as a significant improvement in public education through infrastructure development, classroom modernisation and academic reforms.
Speaking during an interaction with the toppers, Mr Mann said the achievements of students from modest backgrounds highlighted the importance of hard work and determination. He also noted that all three top scorers had participated in sports at state or national level.
Punjab’s Amritsar district recorded the highest overall pass percentage at 96%, while Patiala produced the highest number of merit holders, with 59 students making the list.
The Chief Minister said the performance of girls in academics and other fields reflected growing educational opportunities and social progress in the state.
During the event, one of the toppers expressed her ambition to become a pilot in the Indian Air Force. Mr Mann encouraged students interested in defence careers to consider the Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute for Girls in Mohali, which trains candidates for entry into the armed forces.
Senior officials, including Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and School Education Secretary Sonali Giri, were also present at the event.
