Punjab has become the first state in the country to include entrepreneurship as a core subject in school education. This was announced by Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Friday, accompanied by Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia. From the academic session 2025-26, Class 11 students will study entrepreneurship.
The initiative aims to develop business thinking in students, so that they can become job creators rather than job seekers in the future. The minister said that this course will teach them skills like innovation, problem solving and leadership.
The course will be experimental and project-based, with students working in teams to shape their business ideas, create prototypes, present for funding and launch a product or service. This course will not have the pressure of traditional exams.
Instead, the assessment process will include self-assessment, peer assessment and assessment by a teacher or mentor, so that the learning environment remains positive and inspiring. There will be 18 periods throughout the year 3 for theory and 15 for project work. This will not put additional burden on the students and they will be able to enjoy the learning process.
Potential From Economic Perspective
Bains said that there are about 2.68 lakh students in 3,840 senior secondary schools in Punjab. If even just 10% of these students are successful, then economic activity worth ₹300-400 crore per annum can be generated in student-led initiatives.
This will not only boost entrepreneurship at the local level but will also promote employment generation, community participation and economic development. The minister said, “Our students will not wait for opportunities but will create them themselves. The classroom will now become a laboratory of ideas and teachers will become their startup coaches.”
Inspiration From Previous Program
This new initiative is based on the success of the ‘Punjab Business Blasters Program’, which started in November 2022 under the ‘Punjab Young Entrepreneurs Program’. Initially starting with 32 schools and 11,041 students, the programme has expanded to 1,927 schools and nearly 1.8 lakh students.
The government now wants to formalise this experience and make entrepreneurship education a permanent subject so that innovation and decision-making skills can be made an integral part of school education. The minister called it a historic step towards preparing the youth of Punjab for a self-reliant and sustainable future.
Also Read: ‘Thankful To Stray Dogs For My Global Fame’ Says Supreme Court Judge Justice Vikram Nath
