Punjab Newsline, Shimla-
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today inaugurated the newly constructed building of government college Panarsa in Mandi district, constructed at a cost of Rs. 13.14 crore.
Speaking on this occasion, the Chief Minister stated that education was one of the top priorities of the state government and it was continuously striving to promote quality education through systemic changes. He said the objective of opening new institutions should not be merely to construct buildings, but to ensure that students receive quality education, gain self-confidence and could face the future challenges boldly.
He stated that the state government had made extensive reforms in basic education in the last three years. A separate Directorate of School Education had been established to provide quality education from first to 12th class. It was a matter of great contentment that with the consistent efforts of the state government, Himachal Pradesh had moved from 21st rank in the country to 5th in the field of education. The English medium had been introduced from the first grade and 100 schools were being established following the CBSE pattern in the state, of which 40 had already been affiliated. This step was aimed at providing quality education to the children in rural areas.
The Chief Minister said that the state government had also established a separate Directorate at the college level and was currently pursuing structural changes in higher education. He said that sometimes, tough decisions had to be taken for reform, which might seem difficult at first, but they would go a long way in benefiting the general public. He said that education could no longer remain limited to traditional forms and a technology-based education system was essential to meet future challenges.
Sh. Sukhu said that pre-primary classes had been started in 6297 primary schools and to make modern and quality education accessible to every child, Rajiv Gandhi Government Model Day-Boarding Schools were being established in every assembly constituency. These schools would be equipped with smart classrooms, libraries, sports facilities and other modern resources to ensure the holistic development of children. Dr. Y.S. Parmar Vidyarthi Rin Yojana had been launched to provide loans up to Rs. 20 lakh at 1 percent interest to economically weaker students for education in India and abroad.
The Chief Minister announced that B.Voc and B.C.A. classes would be started on a self-financing basis at the Panarsa college from the next session, so that students could receive employment-oriented education.
Former Minister Kaul Singh Thakur thanked the Chief Minister for ensuring speedy development of the Drang Assembly constituency. He stated that starting science classes at Panarsa College would increase the number of students and reduce the pressure on Kullu College.
Revenue and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi, former MLA Jawahar Thakur, APMC Chairman, Kullu Ram Singh Mian, Director,HPMC Joginder Guleria and Zila Parishad Member Anita Thakur were also present on the occasion.