'Sitaare Zameen Te': Girl's question prompts Punjab CM to order joint first position for students with equal marks

Chandigarh: After a girl student on Sunday questioned the education department's policy of awarding top three positions based on age if students' scores are identical, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann issued directions to award a joint first position instead.

According to the policy, the youngest among the three students gets the first rank in the top three positions if their marks in a board exam are identical.

During an interactive session in the state government's 'Sitaare Zameen Te' programme honouring top-performers in Class 8, 10 and 12 of the Punjab State School Education Board, the girl student from Amritsar stood up and asked when students get the same marks, then why the youngest of three gets the top position.

Every child studies and teachers put in an equal amount of effort in them, the girl said, adding that when the result comes, a younger student gets an upper position. "Why is it?" she asked, drawing claps from fellow students sitting in the event.

"We came from Amritsar and we are studying in the same class. We have been declared first, second and third on the basis of age. We do the same amount of hard work," she said.

To this, Mann said, "For us, three of you hold the first position." The student then said only the student who held the first rank and who was the youngest one was called to the stage.

AAP leader and former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who was also present at the event, said he was so happy to note that a student tells the chief minister, "your system is wrong".

Mann then told the student, while pointing towards the officers, that he had earlier asked them why not three students were given the joint first position.

Then came another remark from the student, who said, "Had three students been declared securing first position, then we would have said the education system was very good." Then Mann, while sitting on the stage, issued directions to the education department that the second and third positions be declared based on marks and not on the basis of age in case of equal score.

Later in a post on X, Mann said, "I issued special instructions to the education department that students securing equal marks should be awarded a joint first position instead of deciding ranks based on date of birth."

Another girl student said her father wanted her to have a photograph with the chief minister. She also said why students holding second and third positions were not called for a photo with the chief minister.

Then Mann asked all students to come and get a photograph clicked with him. Mann could be seen even clicking pictures with students.