Over 300 students from govt schools in Punjab qualify JEE Mains 2026: Education minister

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Saturday said 305 students from government schools qualified in their first attempt of the joint entrance examination (JEE) Mains 2026. This number reflects an increase of 63 per cent from last year's 187 successful candidates, he said describing the achievement as a defining moment for the state's school education system.

Bains shared that five students from his constituency Sri Anandpur Sahib also cracked the prestigious examination. He announced that the government will organise a special three-week residential training camp to prepare the qualified students for JEE Advanced, ensuring they receive focused guidance for the next stage.

"This feat marks a moment of immense pride for our entire school education department. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all our dedicated teachers. The recent JEE Mains Phase 1 results showcased an outstanding performance by the Punjab government schools, with 305 students cracking the competitive engineering exam," Bains said.

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63% increase in JEE qualifiers

This feat represents a remarkable 63 per cent increase from last year's 187 qualifiers, he said. "Achieving such a significant milestone in just one year is a testament to the transformative power of our Punjab 'Sikhya Kranti' initiative. We are committed to further accelerating our progress," the state education minister said.

He also shared that Bhavishya, a Class 12 non-medical student from the School of Eminence in Amritsar secured an impressive 98.182 percentile. His father runs a mobile repair shop and his mother works as a tailor.

"Despite financial constraints, his determination to pursue engineering and uplift his family remained unshaken. With strong school support and disciplined preparation, he achieved outstanding success," he said.

He further informed that Dilkhush Jha, a government school student from Bathinda, scored 95.091 percentile in JEE Mains. With his father being a labourer and mother a homemaker, and an annual family income of Rs 1.2 lakh, he relied on self-study.

Similarly, Priyanka Sharma, a science student from the School of Eminence, Sangrur, secured a 96.44 percentile in JEE Mains while simultaneously preparing for NEET.

Bains said no other state government has matched this scale of achievement in government schools. He congratulated all 305 students and their parents, and thanked the teachers for making what he described as a historic day for Punjab's government school system.