Overview
- A Class 10 student from Amritsar publicly questioned why the Punjab School Education Board used age to pick a single topper when marks were identical, prompting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to announce a change on stage.
- Under the current PSEB rule the youngest student is declared topper when marks tie; three Amritsar girls who each scored 98% illustrated how the policy affected district recognition.
- Mann instructed education department officials to award joint first positions to students with equal marks and to stop using date of birth as a tie-breaker, but the board must still revise its formal rules and procedures.
- The announcement was made during a government event that leaders used to highlight recent education gains in Punjab, and AAP figures urged broader exam reforms in response to the student's question.
- Practical effects will depend on how the PSEB updates its rules and whether past result lists, prize allocations or public honours are adjusted for students who previously lost higher rank due to age.