Punjab class 10 board results show 94.52% pass rate; rural students outperform urban peers; Harleen Sharma tops with 99.38% – The Times of India
CHANDIGARH: Punjab has recorded an overall pass percentage of 94.52% in the Class 10 board examinations, with rural students outperforming their urban counterparts in this year’s results, according to figures released by the state education department.A total of 2,69,505 students appeared for the examinations, out of which 2,54,744 cleared the exam. The results indicate a strong overall academic performance across the state.Rural vs urban performanceRural areas registered a pass percentage of 95.35%, with 1,66,830 students passing out of 1,74,958 who appeared. In comparison, urban regions recorded a pass percentage of 92.98%, where 87,914 students cleared the exam out of 94,547 candidates. Officials noted that this marks a shift in performance trends compared to previous years, where urban centres generally led.Toppers of PunjabHarleen Sharma of Saraswati Senior Secondary School, Jaito (Faridkot) topped the state with 646 out of 650 marks (99.38%). The second position was jointly secured by Manimahesh Sharma of Government Senior Secondary School, Chanauli Bassi (Rupnagar) and Riya Rani of Sri Guru Harkrishan Public School, Chief Khalsa Diwan, Model Town (Hoshiarpur), both scoring 645 out of 650 marks (99.23%).Official statement and trendsPunjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the rural-urban gap now stands at over 2.3 percentage points. He described the results as reflecting a broader shift in academic performance patterns across the state. The education department linked the overall improvement to ongoing system reforms, including infrastructure development in government schools, increased digital learning access, and regular teacher training programmes.Officials also said that consistent monitoring and academic support initiatives introduced over the past academic cycles may have contributed to improved outcomes, particularly in rural districts.
