The Punjab government has announced a fivefold increase in cash rewards for top-performing Matric students, raising the prize from Rs20,000 to Rs100,000 while also awarding free laptops to position holders as part of efforts to promote academic excellence and digital learning.

Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat made the announcement while unveiling the 2026 Matric examination results, saying the enhanced incentives are intended to encourage outstanding academic performance and strengthen the province’s drive towards technology-enabled education.

In another first, all educational boards across Punjab announced the Matric results simultaneously, with students receiving digitally verified online result cards through a modernized system designed to improve transparency and efficiency. Private schools will also be able to access authenticated result cards through their online portals.

The minister said Punjab is gradually transforming its examination system through digital reforms. Beginning next year, answer sheets will be evaluated through screen marking, while students will eventually be able to access scanned copies of their papers using QR code technology to enhance transparency in the assessment process.

Education authorities also claimed that stricter monitoring during this year’s examinations significantly curbed malpractice, with officials reporting a sharp reduction in organized cheating and no major complaints regarding the sale of examination centres.

The latest incentives form part of the Punjab government’s broader strategy to reward academic achievement, expand digital education, and modernize the province’s examination and assessment system.