Punjab govt invested Rs 2,300 crore in school infrastructure: Education Minister Bains

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Tuesday said that the Punjab government has transformed the state's education system through a Rs 2,300-crore reform programme. Presenting the four-and-a-half-year status report of school education here, 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 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, 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."

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Punjab govt allocated Rs 15 lakh per school for development: Edu minister

The Education minister noted that the education system 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 Rs 2,300 crore in school infrastructure, averaging Rs 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 and 99.9 percent schools have boundary walls," he added.

Pointing to the pace of infrastructure development, Minister 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."

Highlighting the expansion of facilities in government schools, the Minister said, "Government schools now boast sports facilities previously reserved for private institutions, including swimming pools, shooting ranges, basketball and tennis courts, Kabaddi mats, wrestling and boxing rings."

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Govt sent principals, teachers to Singapore, IIM Ahmedabad for training: Bains

He said, "The Bhagwant Mann government gave unprecedented exposure to teachers. Over multiple batches, principals were sent to Singapore, primary teachers to Finland and headmasters to IIM Ahmedabad for training."

Speaking about security and maintenance in schools, Minister he stated, "Ex-Army personnel have been deployed as campus managers in all senior secondary schools. In addition, two security guards have been posted at every senior secondary school with over 500 students. Monthly cleaning funds ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 50,000 are now being provided to schools based on student strength."

Highlighting the improvement in academic outcomes, the Education Minister said, "A total of 786 government school students qualified JEE and 2,166 cracked NEET in the last four years. NEET-UG qualifiers from government schools jumped from just 80 in 2021 to 882 in 2026, a more than 10-fold increase.

"The year-wise growth shows 437 qualifiers in 2024, 847 in 2025, and 882 this year. 361 students qualified for JEE Mains, with 64 cracking JEE Advanced." Highlighting Punjab's performance in learning outcomes, Bains said, "Punjab topped the NITI Aayog Report 2026-27 in classroom learning outcomes, leaving behind Kerala, which was previously considered the gold standard in school education."

Highlighting measures to reduce the financial burden on families, Bains said, "The cost of education in the country remains a serious issue. In Punjab, we have tried to provide relief to parents. The government has capped annual school fee increases at a maximum of 5 per cent."