Punjab Class 10 Board results show 94.52% pass rate; Rural students perform better than their urban peers; Harleen Sharma tops with 99.38%
Chandigarh: Punjab has recorded an overall pass percentage of 94.52% in the Class 10 board exams, with rural students outperforming their urban counterparts in this year’s results, according to data released by the state education department.A total of 2,69,505 students appeared for the exam, out of which 2,54,744 passed the exam. The results indicate a strong overall academic performance across the state.rural vs urban performanceThe pass percentage in rural areas was recorded at 95.35%, with 1,66,830 students passing out of 1,74,958 students who appeared. In comparison, the pass percentage in urban areas was recorded at 92.98%, where 87,914 students out of 94,547 candidates passed the exam. Officials noted that this marks a change in performance trends compared to previous years, where urban centers were generally ahead.Toppers of PunjabHarleen Sharma of Saraswati Senior Secondary School, Jaito (Faridkot) topped the state with 646 marks out of 650 (99.38%). The second position was jointly won by Manimahesh Sharma of Government Senior Secondary School, Chanauli Bassi (Rupnagar) and Riya Rani of Shri Guru Harkrishna Public School, Chief Khalsa Dewan, Model Town (Hoshiarpur), both scored 645 marks out of 650 (99.23%).Official statements and trendsPunjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said the rural-urban gap is now more than 2.3 percent. He described the results as reflecting wide variation 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 initiated in previous academic cycles have contributed to better results, especially in rural districts.