Chandigarh, February 21
In a major boost to the Punjab Government’s education reforms, as many as 305 students from Punjab Government Schools have qualified in the first attempt of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains 2026, registering a remarkable 63 per cent increase over last year’s 187 successful candidates. Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, the Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains described 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 Advance, 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 Punjab government schools, with 305 students cracking the competitive engineering exam. This feat represents a remarkable 63 per cent increase from last year’s 187 qualifiers. 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,” said Bains.
Highlighting the human stories behind the numbers, the Education Minister shared that Bhavishya, a Grade 12 Non-Medical student from the School of Eminence, Town Hall, Amritsar, secured an impressive 98.182 percentile despite coming from a family with an annual income of ₹1.5 lakh. 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.
Bains further informed that Dilkhush Jha, a government school student from Bathinda, scored 95.091 percentile in JEE Mains. With a labourer father and homemaker mother and an annual family income of ₹1.2 lakh, he relied on self-study and PACE classes to excel. Similarly, Priyanka Sharma, a science student from the School of Eminence, Sangrur, secured 96.44 percentile in JEE Mains while simultaneously preparing for NEET. Coming from a family with an annual income of ₹3.5 lakh, she benefitted from PACE classes, mock tests and structured guidance.
The Education Minister stated, “Priyanka Sharma, a Grade 12 Science student of School of Eminence, Sangrur, comes from a supportive family where her father works as an accountant and her mother is a private school teacher. With an annual family income of around ₹3.5 lakh, she prepared with discipline and consistency, benefiting from PACE classes, regular mock tests and strong academic guidance. Her efforts resulted in an excellent 96.44 percentile in JEE Main achieved alongside her NEET preparation.”
Narrating another success story, the Bains stated, “Harmandeep Sharma, a Grade 12 Non Medical student of School of Eminence, Chhajli Sangrur, comes from a family where his father works as an accountant and his mother is a homemaker, with an annual income of around ₹2.5 lakh. Aspiring to pursue engineering, he prepared entirely through school support without taking any private tuition, relying on teacher guidance and PACE learning resources. His disciplined preparation resulted in an outstanding 98.75 percentile in JEE Main.”
