Chandigarh scripts fourth straight year at top of India’s school education rankings

Chandigarh has retained its position as the top performer in school education among all states and Union territories in the country for the fourth consecutive year, according to Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2.0 report for 2025-26 released by the Union Ministry of Education in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The UT is the only state or UT in the country placed in the ‘Uttam-3’ category (61-70 per cent score) this year, the highest grade attained by any state or UT, with none reaching ‘Utkarsh’, ‘Uttam-1’ or ‘Uttam-2’. Punjab, Kerala, Delhi and the UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu shared the second spot.

The grade marks an upward shift from last year, when Chandigarh had scored 703 points to place in the ‘Prachesta-1’ band (51-60 per cent) in PGI 2023-24. The climb into ‘Uttam-3’ this year puts Chandigarh a full grade ahead of every other state and UT in the country.

The feat comes on the back of the city’s hat-trick of PGI toppers in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24, taking Chandigarh’s run at the top to four straight years in an index that benchmarks states and UTs on 70 indicators across Learning Outcomes, Access, Infrastructure, Equity, Governance and Teacher Training.

“Four years running at the top, and this year climbing a full grade higher than every other state and UT, is not a coincidence, it is the result of sustained, systemic work across every department that touches a child’s school life,” Education Secretary Prerna Puri told The Tribune. “This result tells us our investments in classroom transaction, teacher training and digital learning are translating into measurable gains. Our next task is to close the gap on learning outcomes and equity.”

Speaking to The Tribune, Punjab Governor-cum-UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria said the achievement was a matter of pride for the city. “For Chandigarh to stand alone at the top for the fourth year running, and to be the only one in the country to reach this grade, reflects the collective commitment of our teachers, officials and parents. It shows that when infrastructure, governance and classroom practice move together, results follow. My message to the department is simple -- do not settle; keep raising the bar.”

At the district level, Chandigarh also features among the 19 top-performing districts nationally to reach the ‘Uttam-2’ grade in 2025-26, up from 16 districts last year. The list is led by seven districts from Punjab, four from Delhi, three from Kerala and two from Maharashtra, with Diu and Hamirpur (Himachal Pradesh) the only other non-state entries alongside Chandigarh.

Nationally, districts in the ‘Uttam-3’ grade rose from 75 to 97, while those in the lower ‘Prachesta-1’ band fell from 332 to 325 — an overall improving trend even as Chandigarh continues to lead the field.