Chandigarh, August 21: Punjab’s Education Minister Harjot Bains has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading misleading propaganda regarding the condition of government schools in the state. He stated that BJP leaders circulated a seven-year-old video to tarnish Punjab’s image and mislead the public about the current situation.
Bains emphasized that he personally visited the Jalla Government School in Fatehgarh Sahib, which was featured in the video, and found that the ground reality has significantly improved. The school now boasts smart interactive panels, functional toilets, sanitary pad incinerators, clean drinking water, and Wi-Fi facilities.
Citing Punjab’s impressive educational record, Bains noted that the state ranks at the top in the Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 and in classroom learning outcomes nationwide. He mentioned that 882 students from government schools passed the UG-NEET 2026 exam, outperforming even Patiala, which ranked 23rd in the state, against Gurugram in BJP-ruled Haryana, which topped the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) survey.
Bains informed the media that after seeing a video shared by BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari and later reposted by MP Harbhajan Singh, he decided to verify the claims on the ground rather than rely solely on official reports.
Responding to criticism based on facts, Bains asserted that Punjab’s educational performance should be evaluated based on independent assessments conducted by the central government. He highlighted that Punjab achieved the top rank in the Performance Grading Index 2.0 and was recognized for its classroom learning outcomes in the NITI Aayog report released in May this year.
He further referenced the ‘Parakh’ national survey 2024, stating that Punjab has emerged as the number one state in education in the country. Bains noted that the Project Approval Board of the Education Ministry has repeatedly praised Punjab’s efforts in improving school infrastructure and learning outcomes.
While acknowledging that political criticism is part of public life, he stressed that deliberate attempts to defame Punjab and its schools will not be tolerated. “The issue is not Harjot Bains. You can criticize me as much as you want. The issue is Punjab. We will not tolerate efforts to defame Punjab,” he stated.
Bains concluded by saying that Punjab has transitioned from the “Udta Punjab” narrative to “Parda Punjab,” highlighting that 882 students from government schools successfully passed the UG-NEET 2026 exam. He reiterated that Punjab’s educational achievements are being recognized at the national level.
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