{"id":163942,"date":"2026-07-19T18:48:06","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T13:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timespunjab.com\/?p=163942"},"modified":"2026-07-20T01:13:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T19:43:22","slug":"882-punjab-govt-school-students-crack-neet-ug-2026-marking-100-rise-in-2-years-harjot-singh-bains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timespunjab.com\/?p=163942","title":{"rendered":"882 Punjab Govt School Students Crack NEET-UG 2026, Marking 100% Rise in 2 Years: Harjot Singh Bains"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-originalfontsize=\"15px\" data-originalcomputedfontsize=\"15\"><strong>&#8211; \u201cOur students prove it again\u201d: EM Bains says NEET successes reflect impact of \u201cSikhya Kranti\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-originalfontsize=\"15px\" data-originalcomputedfontsize=\"15\"><strong>(Rajinder Kumar) CHANDIGARH, July 19,2026: <\/strong>In a major boost to Punjab\u2019s public education system, 882 students from government schools in the state have qualified the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026. The results were declared following a nationwide re-examination conducted after the cancellation of the original paper due to a leak.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p data-originalfontsize=\"15px\" data-originalcomputedfontsize=\"15\">Sharing the details, Punjab Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains congratulated the NEET qualifiers and wished them success in the medical field. \u201cOnce again, students from our government schools have proven that quality education and hard-work go hand in hand. This year, 882 of our students have qualified NEET, reflecting the sustained impact of \u201cSikhya Kranti\u201d and the dedication of our teachers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p data-originalfontsize=\"15px\" data-originalcomputedfontsize=\"15\">The Education Minister said that the 2026 tally continues a strong upward trend for the state\u2019s government schools. In 2024, 437 students qualified NEET, which rose to 847 in 2025. This year\u2019s 882 qualifiers mark a cumulative increase of over 100 per cent since 2024, a gain achieved despite the disruption to the 2026 exam cycle caused by the paper leak and re-test.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p data-originalfontsize=\"15px\" data-originalcomputedfontsize=\"15\">Reaffirming Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government\u2019s commitment to public education, S. Harjot Singh Bains emphasised, \u201cEducation is the most powerful tool to eradicate poverty and transform lives. The success of our government school students in NEET, even in a year marked by disruption, is a testament to what our children can achieve with the right support and environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p data-originalfontsize=\"15px\" data-originalcomputedfontsize=\"15\">Among this year\u2019s qualifiers is Prateek Kumar, a student of the School of Eminence, Sekhewal in Ludhiana, whose story embodies the impact of the state\u2019s education reforms. The son of a private school teacher with a monthly income of Rs 16,000, Prateek scored 594 out of 720 in NEET-UG 2026. He prepared for the exam through free online classes and mock tests under Punjab School Education Department\u2019s PACE programme for government school students. Prateek aspires to become an oncologist and serve cancer patients. His achievement demonstrates that with the right support, dedication and hard-work can overcome financial barriers.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p data-originalfontsize=\"15px\" data-originalcomputedfontsize=\"15\">\u201cI always believed that education is the only way to change our family\u2019s destiny. The Punjab Government\u2019s free coaching and mock tests gave Prateek the wings. Today, when he has qualified NEET, it is the proudest and happiest day of our lives,\u201d said Prateek\u2019s father.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p data-originalfontsize=\"15px\" data-originalcomputedfontsize=\"15\">This NEET performance builds on wider gains. Earlier this year, Punjab emerged as India\u2019s top-performing state in school education, surpassing Kerala and Delhi in the NITI Aayog Education Quality Report 2026. The Education Minister said the state government has provided structured mentorship and exam preparation. CM Bhagwant Mann led government remains committed to identifying and nurturing talent, while ensuring that every child has access to world-class education to realise their dreams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8211; \u201cOur students prove it again\u201d: EM Bains says NEET successes reflect impact of \u201cSikhya&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":163944,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,43,388,20],"tags":[3878,3927,3888],"class_list":["post-163942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-english","category-political","category-punjab","tag-newsupdate","tag-punjabnews","tag-timespunjab"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>882 Punjab Govt School Students 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