A Class 10 student from Amritsar has led to an important change in the Punjab School Education Board ranking system. Gagandeep Kaur, a student of Amber Senior Secondary School in Nawan Tanel, questioned why students with the same marks were given different ranks based on age.
She raised the question during a student honour event in Chandigarh. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, former Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia and Punjab education minister Harjot Singh Bains were present at the event.
Gagandeep said she and her classmates Tanvir Kaur and Rajpreet Kaur had all scored 98 percent in the Class 10 board exams. But only one of them was declared the Amritsar district topper because she was the youngest.
Under the old PSEB rule, if students scored the same marks, the youngest student was ranked higher. This rule was followed for both state-level and district-level topper lists.
Gagandeep asked why age should decide the rank when all three students had scored equal marks. She said students with the same marks should get equal recognition.
CM Mann orders joint ranks for equal marks
After listening to Gagandeep’s concern, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that PSEB would no longer decide topper ranks based on age.He directed education department officials to give joint positions to students who score the same marks. This means students with equal marks will receive equal rank instead of being separated by date of birth.
Mann said ranks should be decided by marks only, not by age. The decision puts academic performance at the center of the ranking system.The change is important because board exam ranks carry value for students, parents and schools. When students score the same marks, ranking them differently because of age can feel unfair.
The new PSEB rule is expected to make topper lists more transparent and fair. It also shows how a student’s clear question can bring a real policy change.Manish Sisodia praised the confidence of students who were willing to point out problems in the system. Gagandeep’s school also said it was proud of her for raising a valid issue before the chief minister.
Going forward, students who score equal marks in PSEB exams are expected to receive joint ranks, giving them equal recognition for equal performance.
