Punjab Tops NITI Aayog School Education Quality Index

Category : National Published on: August 10 2026

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Punjab secured the first rank in the NITI Aayog School Education Quality Index 2026, surpassing states including Kerala. The achievement was presented in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on 6 August 2026. The state rose from 27th position in 2020 to the top spot, recording 82% proficiency in Class III language skills and 78% in mathematics. Infrastructure upgrades covered 19,125 schools at an expenditure of around ₹2,638 crore, with 80% of classrooms now equipped as smart classrooms.
Punjab also reported a sharp rise in NEET-UG qualifiers from government schools—882 in 2026 against 80 in 2021—linked to the PACE coaching initiative. It became the first state to introduce Artificial Intelligence as a core subject from Classes I to XII.