Chandigarh, July 26, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday said the state has created a transparent system where merit, and not money or recommendations, determines success in government jobs and competitive examinations.
Addressing a felicitation ceremony in Zirakpur for 882 students from Punjab Government schools who qualified NEET 2026, Mann said the achievement reflected the impact of education reforms, free coaching initiatives, mentorship programmes and career guidance provided to students.
The Chief Minister said that more than 68,000 government jobs had been given through a transparent recruitment process based solely on merit. “There is no recommendation, no bribery and no favouritism. Government jobs are given only on merit,” he said.
Mann also highlighted Punjab’s record of preventing examination paper leaks during the last four-and-a-half years. He said that when an attempt to facilitate cheating in the Pharmacy Officer examination came to light, the state government acted immediately and 21 people involved in the case were sent to jail.
Talking about the NEET achievement, Mann said the number of government school students clearing the examination had increased from just 82 in 2022 to 882 this year. He said the rise demonstrated the transformation taking place in Punjab’s government education system.
He congratulated the students, parents and teachers, saying the successful candidates would become future doctors and serve society with dedication.
The Chief Minister said the achievement was driven by programmes such as Punjab Academic Coaching for Excellence (PACE), which provides free coaching, mock tests, mentorship and career counselling through partnerships with educational organisations.
He said the state government had strengthened school infrastructure by recruiting more than 28,000 permanent teachers, setting up computer labs in thousands of government schools, installing interactive panels and sending teachers for advanced training at institutions in Finland and premier management institutes.
Mann said that of the 882 NEET qualifiers this year, 686 were girls and 340 belonged to the Scheduled Caste community, reflecting wider access to quality education.
He added that over the past three years, 2,166 government school students had qualified NEET and 786 students had cleared the JEE examination.
Calling education the foundation of a progressive Punjab, Mann urged students to remain humble, continue working hard and use their success to contribute to society. He also congratulated girls for excelling in different fields and said women’s empowerment was essential for building an equal society.
Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion and congratulated the students.
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