Chandigarh, May 12 -- Punjab's government schools have recorded a "major academic milestone" under the Bhagwant Mann government's 'Sikhya Kranti', with the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Class 10 results registering an impressive overall pass percentage of 94.52 per cent and government school students making a strong mark in the merit list, officials said on Tuesday.

Out of 2,69,505 students who appeared for the examinations, 2,54,744 cleared the exams. Girls once again outperformed boys, securing a pass percentage of 95.96 per cent compared to 93.23 per cent among boys. A total of 272 students made it to the merit list, including 220 girls and 52 boys, while 88 students from government schools featured among the toppers.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday felicitated the top three rank holders and described the results as proof of the state's ongoing "Sikhya Kranti". Harleen Sharma secured the first position with 99.38 per cent marks, while Manimahesh Sharma and Riya Rani jointly secured the second and third positions with 99.23 per cent.

Congratulating the students, the Chief Minister said their hard work, determination and dedication had brought pride to Punjab. He added that these students would inspire younger generations to excel in academics and prove that Punjab's children can compete with the best in the country when provided proper opportunities and infrastructure.

As a mark of appreciation, the Chief Minister announced direct admission for all three toppers to the Schools of Eminence in the stream of their choice and handed over cheques of Rs 50,000 each.

Highlighting reforms introduced by the state government, Mann said Punjab had strengthened school infrastructure through smart classrooms, upgraded facilities and advanced teacher training programmes.

He claimed that Punjab had surpassed states such as Kerala, Maharashtra and Delhi in primary and middle-school education rankings.

In another achievement, 3,718 schools across Punjab recorded 100 per cent results, including 1,688 government schools. Amritsar district registered the highest pass percentage at 98.41 per cent, while Ludhiana recorded the highest number of merit positions.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.