New Delhi, Aug. 7 -- Punjab has emerged as the top-ranked state in the NITI Aayog School Education Quality Index (SEQI) 2026, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said in the state assembly on Thursday while presenting the AAP government's four-year report card on school education.

Participating in a discussion on an education-related resolution, Bains said the state has improved school infrastructure, expanded foundational learning programmes and increased the number of students from government schools qualifying competitive examinations since 2022.

The minister said an assessment carried out after he assumed office in July 2022 found that more than 8,000 government schools lacked boundary walls, 3,200 had non-functional toilets and n...