REITERATES GOVT’S COMMITMENT TO REGULATE FUNCTIONING OF ALL PVT & PUBLIC COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
Chandigarh,
Fulfilling yet another poll promise of his government, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced the decision to allow elections to
the student unions in universities in the state from the academic session 2018-19.
Winding up the discussions on the motion of thanks on Governor’s Address in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Minister pointed out that these elections
were suspended over three decades in the past due to disturbed law and order but with the state now returning to peace and normalcy, these elections would
take place regularly, as were being held in Panjab University, Chandigarh and Delhi University.
He said that students’ union elections would be held in Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjabi University, Patiala and Punjab Technical University along
with their affiliated colleges.
The Chief Minister also reiterated his government’s commitment to set up a Regulatory Authority to regulate the functioning of all Private and Public Universities
and Colleges in the State. A Group of Ministers was in the process of finalizing the draft after consultations with stakeholders, he added.
An Advisory Group comprising eminent educationists to suggest measures to improve the standards of higher education in the State was also under process,
said the Chief Minister, listing out a series of initiatives taken by his government to improve the state’s education systems at both, school and college/university
levels.
Youth would be adequately skilled by imparting relevant vocational training so as to enable them to be gainfully employed, the Chief Minister said Punjab would
be the first state to make its curriculum National Skills Quality Framework compliant from the coming 2018-19 academic session.
On a pilot basis, English medium would be started in at least two primary, middle, high and senior secondary schools in each educational block from July
onwards, said the chief minister, adding that, besides all-round promotion and development of mother tongue Punjabi across Punjab, the state was also
contemplating to offer some international languages in senior classes for those children who are keen to seek employment outside the country. He highlighted
the significance of few foreign languages like Mandarin, Italian, French and German, which were catching the fancy of youth, who were seeking lucrative job
avenues across the globe. The Chief Minister emphasized the need to give up orthodox mindset in the present context by sticking to one language but at the
same time, he categorically said that the importance of our mother tongue Punjabi would never be overlooked.
Lamenting that almost 50 percent students could not get through the board exams last year, the Chief Minister said that they had inherited a virtually collapsed
system of school education and his Government was taking several corrective measures to rebuild the education system.
For the first time, pre-primary classes for children in age-group 3 to 6 years had been started in government schools and as many as 1.60 lakh children have
been enrolled in these classes, said Captain Amarinder Singh, adding that ‘Padho Punjab-Padhao Punjab’, a unique programme, was being implemented for
students at pre-primary, primary and middle levels to improve their learning outcomes. For senior students, the Government will commence the programme
from 1st April 2018 besides starting a system of ranking schools and instituted a Best School Award.
Elaborating the steps being taken for infrastructure development in the schools, the Chief Minister said that the government was installing green boards and
providing necessary furniture in all primary schools and RO system for drinking water in 1500 high and senior secondary schools. He said that 1500 new
classrooms will be constructed with NABARD funding and free internet facility was being provided in all Government schools from April this year.
The Chief Minister also informed the House that one smart school in each education block was being created in the coming year to provide computer-aided
learning. Apart from these, vocational training and skill programmes had been started in 780 Senior Secondary schools across the State.
Assuring the House that his Government would ensure distribution of free text books in schools well in advance before the start of next academic session,
Captain Amarinder Singh also informed that mid-day meal would be regularly served to 14.52 lakhs children.
The Chief Minister said his government had taken up a number of measures for reforms for teachers, including separate cadre of teachers for border districts
and creation of a cadre of Education Administrators. The automated transfer policy had been approved and will be implemented from the coming transfer
season, he added.
As many as 1645 teachers had been recruited and 1800 teachers regularized since his government took over, he said, adding that posts of teachers across
schools had been rationalized and proper staffing norms had been created, along with launch of special drive to resolve long-pending grievances of teachers
regarding promotion, grant of leave, etc.
Highlighting the measures being taken in Higher Education, the Chief Minister informed the House that a useful suggestion had been made by Dr. Manmohan
Singh during his recent visit to Amritsar about setting up digital libraries in the State. He announced that the Government would provide special funds for
establishing digital libraries in GNDU, Amritsar and Punjabi University, Patiala, which would allow them to procure digital editions of books as well as subscribe to
online journals and reference material. He said that a budgetary provision of Rs. 5 crore has been made for this purpose.
The Chief Minister further that said that MoU had been signed to provide free Wi-Fi in all campuses of Government Engineering Colleges, Government
Polytechnic Colleges and Government ITIs. He also pointed out that Punjab Government would urge the Government of India to set question paper for our ITIs
and Polytechnics in Punjabi, in addition to English and Hindi for the benefit of Punjabi medium students. The State Government would also start skills training
courses in ITIs after class hours to optimally utilize the infrastructure, said the Chief Minister.
Announcing setting up of 10 more Government Colleges next year, Captain Amarinder Singh said that the state would have 15 new colleges as five had already
been announced this year. He said that NoCs had also been issued for setting up 8 private colleges, besides free Wi-Fi facility in all government college, with all
48 colleges to be covered by June. He further informed the House that a new NCC Unit in the border district of Tarn Taran had also been set up.
The Chief Minister said that State Government had implemented ‘Mukh Mantri Vazifa Yojana’ for meritorious students studying in government polytechnics with
rebate from 70 to 100% on tuition fee based on performance with an increased admission by 25% this year.
Captain Amarinder Singh also announced the setting up of a world-class Skills’ University at Chamkaur Sahib to be named after our Dasam Pita Sri Guru Gobind
Singh ji and said that Punjab Government was keen to attract leading international players to set up Centres of Excellence in the University.
He informed the House that the State Government was also in the process of setting up a Regional Vocational Training Institute for Girls and Regional
Directorate of Apprenticeship Training near Mohali at a cost of Rs. 35 crore, besides new ITI near Ludhiana in partnership with industry as part of the Cycle
valley project in Dhanansu. Apart from the present 115 Skill Development Centres, 100 new training centres will come up in the next 6 months.
