CHANDIGARH, May 15 — Punjab’s public education system has reached a new milestone as more than 400 government schools achieved perfect results in the latest Class 12 board examinations. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann met with the state’s top-ranking students on Thursday, noting that the performance of government institutions now accounts for nearly half of the state’s total merit list.
In a ceremony honoring the highest achievers, the Chief Minister handed over ₹50,000 checks to Supneet Kaur, Suhani Chauhan, and Divyanshi. These students secured the top positions by scoring 500 out of 500 marks. The Chief Minister declared that their success represents a new era of socio-economic progress for the region.
“This is the real empowerment of girls, which marks a new beginning for their socio-economic resurgence and the stupendous progress of Punjab and the country,” Mann stated. He maintained that the achievement is particularly notable as the top three students are also recognized athletes at both the state and national levels.
Statistics released by the state show that 217 of the 278 merit positions were secured by girls. The Chief Minister stated that of the 122 government school students on the merit list, many have overcome financial hardships to reach the top. He affirmed that the government would extend full support to help these students achieve their professional dreams.
“The pass percentage of girl students has been 94.73 percent, while that of boys is 88.52 percent,” the Chief Minister noted while discussing the state’s 91.46% total success rate.
Regarding future career paths, Mann encouraged those interested in the military to utilize the residential training at the Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute. He asserted that the facility is designed to prepare young women for the mental and physical rigors of national defense examinations. Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and Secretary School Education Sonali Giri were among the senior officials present at the event.
