‘Vegitables’ And ‘Dear’: The Bizarre Spelling Errors That Put Punjab’s 'No. 1' Education Claims Under Spotlight

New Delhi: Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains’ attempt to showcase the state government’s efforts to improve school infrastructure has drawn attention for an unexpected reason, spelling mistakes visible in the very classroom photographs shared by the minister.      

Bains shared pictures of Government Primary School (GPS) Basti Hazoor Singh in Fazilka while responding to criticism over the condition of the school. In his post, Bains said three rooms were declared unsafe following a special review after the 2025 floods and that ₹28.65 lakh had been sanctioned for three new classrooms. 

He also claimed that Pre-Primary to Class 3 students were studying safely in two classrooms “in perfect condition” and shared photographs of those classrooms.

But the pictures shared in the post have drawn attention for an entirely different reason.

Among the learning charts visible on the classroom walls are alphabet and vocabulary charts meant for young students. On one chart listing vegetables, “VEGITABLES” is written instead of “VEGETABLES.”

Another chart featuring animals has a picture of a deer, but the animal is labelled “DEAR” instead of “DEER.”

The apparent errors have added an unexpected twist to a post in which the minister sought to highlight Punjab’s education achievements and defend the state government against criticism.

Bains wrote that his leaders, Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, are committed to education and claimed that Punjab is now “No. 1 in education”, moving up from rank 27 and leaving Kerala behind, citing this year’s NITI Aayog report.

The minister also accused critics of recycling old videos and old news to “defame Punjab”, while stressing that his government believes in accountability.

From School Infrastructure To Spelling Errors

The spelling mistakes have shifted attention from the infrastructure issue to the quality of basic learning material displayed inside the classroom.

For primary-school students, classroom charts are meant to reinforce basic vocabulary and help children learn correct spellings. The presence of errors such as “VEGITABLES” and “DEAR” therefore makes the photographs particularly striking. The irony has not been lost on social media users, with several commenters pointing out the spelling of “vegetables” and questioning the minister over the photographs.

 Beyond the spelling errors, social media users also raised questions about the condition of the school infrastructure, with some drawing attention to the exposed brickwork and overall state of the classrooms. Comments questioned whether such infrastructure reflects the government’s claims of educational progress, with one user bluntly asking, “Brick walls? These are the conditions of your schools?”

The post has consequently opened up multiple lines of debate, from Punjab’s education ranking and the interpretation of the NITI Aayog report to the condition of the Fazilka school and the photographs used to demonstrate the government’s response.

Several commenters challenged Bains’ account, while others criticised what they described as an attempt to counter criticism through sanitised classroom images. The minister’s post was intended to present the “real status” of GPS Basti Hazoor Singh and underline the government’s efforts to make the school safe and rebuild damaged classrooms.

‘Vegitables’ And ‘Dear’ Turn Spotlight On Punjab’s Education Claims   

The minister’s post also drew a flurry of critical reactions from social media users, with several questioning his claims about Punjab’s education ranking, the condition of the school and the photographs shared. Others seized on the spelling errors visible in the classroom charts.

One user questioned the education ranking claim, writing, “Note: Punjab ranked no 1 including UTs even in 2022 and now ranks 3 when including UTs. The same report which this PAAP is highlighting, his leaders used to call it fake.”

Another commenter raised doubts over the authenticity of the photographs, asking, “How to verify this is the same School? Images in circulation are of a Roofless Room.”

A third user pointed to an apparent contradiction in the minister’s earlier statement, writing, “Here you are showing a Classroom Interior. Your statement in TOI of 22 Feb 26 says Roof is PWD work, Capital Expenditure & will take time. Your Communication is quite Poor.”

One user took a direct political swipe at the minister, commenting, “Stop learning bad things from your boss Kejriwal.”

Another commenter questioned the delay in reconstruction, writing, “You promised this 6 months ago, as soon as we started highlighting the real picture behind EDUCATION REFORM PROPAGANDA you are saying the work will start soon? Why did it take 6 months ? Oh sorry I forgot, Punjab elections.!”

A particularly blunt comment accused the minister of attempting to deflect criticism, saying, “Do not try to hide one lie with another, @harjotbains. You have not made a new school building as you promised the children but rather have shifted them to another school whose sanitised photographs you are probably showing. Have you no shame?”

Another user broadened the criticism to the AAP government’s education model, writing, “The same type of schools made in Delhi? I guess that’s AAP’s character to bamboozle people with falsehoods, and then pocket the money earmarked for such tasks.”

Meanwhile, the spelling mistake became a separate talking point, with one user simply writing, “Vegitable - pls ask the school teachers to correct the spelling mistake.”

Another commenter took a sarcastic dig at the error, writing, “‘Vegitables’?!! Oxford ham sharminda hai, tere qatil abhi zinda hai!!”

One final commenter issued a cautionary note to the cabinet minister, writing, “Sir, you are a cabinet minister in Punjab. You must carefully measure your words and also think twice before posting pictures. This is Punjab, once your credibility is dented, there’s no going back from there.”