Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains hailed the achievement as the beginning of "Punjab's Era," attributing the success to the Bhagwant Mann government's systemic reforms and infrastructure investments. (File Photo) Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains Sunday said Punjab was recognised as one of India’s best-performing states in school education, with the NITI Aayog Education Quality Report 2026 placing it ahead of Kerala, which is long considered India’s gold standard in school education. Bains said, “This honour belongs to every parent, student and teacher who refused to give up on government schools. This is not a one day miracle. When policy, intent and execution walk together, results follow.” He shared details of the report and said, “Punjab recorded 82 per cent proficiency in language and 78 per cent in mathematics in Class 3, surpassing Kerala’s 75 per cent and 70 per cent, respectively.…