In a major development, the Punjab government has decided to do away with the date-of-birth-based tie-breaker in board examinations. The move aims to ensure fair treatment for students who score the same marks.
The decision came after students raised the issue directly with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The government said it acted on the concerns shared by students.
Education Minister Harjot Bains said from now on, students securing equal marks will be given the same rank. Earlier, the older student was ranked higher when marks were equal. The new system removes that age-based preference.
Bains also announced changes in the examination pattern. He said board exams will gradually move away from questions that rely mainly on memorisation. Instead, more focus will be on testing understanding concepts, reasoning and problem-solving skills.
The minister said the government is also taking strict steps to maintain fairness in examinations. Efforts will be intensified to prevent cheating and stop paper leaks, ensuring a transparent system for students.
Punjab has recently emerged as one of the country's top-performing states in school education. According to the NITI Aayog Education Quality Report 2026, the state outperformed Kerala on several key learning indicators.
Harjot Bains described the achievement as the beginning of a new phase for Punjab's education sector. He credited the progress to policy reforms, improved school facilities and the hard work of teachers, students and parents.
He said the results reflect years of consistent efforts to strengthen government schools across the state. The report showed that 82 per cent of Class 3 students in Punjab achieved proficiency in language and 78 per cent in mathematics, higher than Kerala's 75 per cent and 70 per cent respectively. In Class 9 mathematics, Punjab scored 52 per cent compared to Kerala's 45 per cent.
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