Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Saturday stated that 305 students from government schools cleared the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains 2026 in their first attempt.
He said this marks a 63 per cent rise compared to last year, when 187 students had qualified. Calling it a defining moment, he said the achievement reflects the growing strength of Punjab’s school education system. Bains also shared that five students from his constituency, Sri Anandpur Sahib, cracked the prestigious exam.
He announced that the state government will hold a special three-week residential training camp for these students. The camp will help them prepare for JEE Advanced and provide 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.
He reiterated that this feat represents a remarkable 63 per cent increase from last year's 187 qualifiers. Bains 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.”
Highlighting individual achievements, he said Bhavishya, a Class 12 non-medical student from the School of Eminence in Amritsar, secured an impressive 98.182 percentile.
Bhavishya’s father runs a mobile repair shop, and his mother works as a tailor. Despite financial challenges, he remained determined to pursue engineering and support his family. With strong guidance from his school and disciplined preparation, he achieved notable success, the minister said. Bains further informed that Dilkhush Jha, a government school student from Bathinda, obtained 95.091 percentile in JEE Mains.
Dilkhush comes from a modest background. His father is a labourer, his mother a homemaker, and the family’s annual income is around Rs 1.2 lakh. He prepared largely through self-study.
Similarly, Priyanka Sharma, a science student from the School of Eminence in Sangrur, secured a 96.44 percentile in JEE Mains while also preparing for NEET.
Bains claimed that no other state government has achieved such results at this scale in government schools. He congratulated all 305 students and their parents. He also thanked the teachers, calling it a historic day for Punjab’s government school system.
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