Punjab grandmother, 61, scores 77% in board exam 2026
Narendra Kaur, 61, from Jalandhar has cleared the PSEB Class 10 examination with 500 marks through open schooling. Her result has drawn attention to long-delayed educational aspirations and the reach of second-chance learning.
In a result season often dominated by toppers and cut-off scores, a 61-year-old grandmother from Punjab has emerged as one of the most inspiring faces of the year.
Narendra Kaur, a resident of Sarhali village in Nakodar, Jalandhar, has scored 500 out of 650 marks in the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Class 10 examination, securing nearly 77 per cent marks.
Narendra Kaur appeared for the examination through Shaheed Bhai Tara Singh Khalsa Senior Secondary (Open) School and cleared the board exams at an age when many believe formal education becomes a closed chapter.
What makes the achievement stand apart is not merely the marksheet, but the journey behind it.
A grandmother to two grandsons, Narendra Kaur said that the desire to study had remained alive within her for decades. She recalled that during the time of her marriage, higher education for girls was not widely encouraged in society.
For many women of her generation, education often ended early due to social expectations and household responsibilities.
Yet, the aspiration never disappeared.
According to Narendra Kaur, her family continued to support her dream over the years. Her two sons are now settled abroad, one in the United States and the other in Canada, along with their families.
Despite entering a different phase of life, she decided to return to academics and complete the education she once had to leave behind.
Speaking about her future plans, Narendra Kaur said she now wishes to continue her studies further by completing Class 12 and later pursuing a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree.
Her story has quickly drawn attention across Punjab, not only because of the age factor, but because it reflects a larger reality about unfinished educational dreams among women from older generations.
Education experts often point out that open schooling systems have increasingly become pathways for adults, women and senior citizens who were unable to complete formal education earlier due to economic pressures, social barriers or family responsibilities.
Narendra Kaur’s success has now become a reminder that education does not carry an age limit.
At a time when students across the country anxiously await board results and career decisions, her journey offers a different message, that learning can resume even after decades.