The Punjab government has announced a Rs100,000 cash prize and free laptops for students securing top positions in the 2026 Matric annual examinations, as part of efforts to encourage academic excellence.
The announcement was made by Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat while officially releasing the Matric results of all educational boards across the province simultaneously.
The minister said the cash award for position holders has been increased from Rs20,000 to Rs100,000, while top-performing students will also receive laptops.
“This year marks the first time that all Punjab educational boards announced Matric results simultaneously, ensuring greater transparency and efficiency,” he said.
According to the education minister, the 2026 Matric results were prepared using modern technology for the first time, enabling students to access verified online result cards instead of relying solely on printed documents.
He added that students of private schools will also be able to download authenticated result cards directly through their institutions’ online portals.
Rana Sikandar Hayat said Punjab is gradually transforming all educational boards into a fully digital examination system. Beginning next year, screen marking will be introduced to improve the transparency and quality of paper checking.
He further announced that students will eventually be able to review their examination papers through QR codes, making the assessment process more transparent.
The minister claimed that no complaints regarding the sale of examination centres were reported during this year’s Matric exams and said 95% of the cheating mafia had been eliminated across Punjab through strict monitoring and reforms.
He also noted that admissions to public universities are increasing, reflecting growing confidence in the province’s education system.
