Record Admissions Show Growing Trust In Punjab Government Schools, Says Harjot Singh Bains

In a remarkable testament to the growing confidence in government schools, Punjab's Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains, on Tuesday, said that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government's initiatives under 'Sikhya Kranti' (education revolution) are yielding positive results, as reflected in the overwhelming response to admissions in Schools of Eminence and Residential Schools for Meritorious Students.

Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said, "The response to admissions in Schools of Eminence and Residential Schools for Meritorious Students shows a clear and growing confidence of parents and students in government schools. Over two lakh students have registered for admissions to Classes 9 and 11 in these institutions, competing for nearly 20,000 available seats, which marks a significant shift towards quality education in government-run schools."

Giving an overview of the institutional framework, the Education Minister said, "At present, Punjab has 118 Schools of Eminence and 10 Residential Schools for Meritorious Students, where admissions are being conducted for the academic session 2026-27."

Sharing details of seat availability, Minister Harjot Singh Bains stated, "For Class 9, a total of 4,248 seats are available in Schools of Eminence, with 36 seats per school, while 50 seats are available in Residential Schools for Meritorious Students, which is currently operational through one residential school."

He further said, "For Class 11, Schools of Eminence have 11,187 seats available. The total sanctioned intake for Class 11 is 15,104 seats, out of which 3,917 students from Class 10 studying in Schools of Eminence will be promoted to Class 11. In addition, 4,600 seats are available in Residential Schools for Meritorious Students for Class 11 admissions."

Providing details of the registration status, the Minister noted, "So far, 93,300 students have registered for Class 9 admissions, out of which 74,855 applications have been finally submitted. For Class 11, 1,10,716 students have registered, with 92,624 applications successfully submitted." He added, "A total of 36,537 students across both classes are yet to complete their final submission."

Urging students and parents to complete the process in time, the Education Minister said, "The last date for submission of applications is January 25, 2026, while the entrance examination will be conducted on March 1, 2026." He added that "further details regarding admit cards and examination centres will be shared through official channels in due course."