Punjab makes great strides in Education department

Amritsar: Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia lauded the state education department for working hard to improve the state's countrywide ranking in elementary education.
 
In a statement here, Majithia said it was a matter of pride that the state was ranked third, a major leap forward by any state in improving elementary school education.
 
He said this was the result of efforts made by the education department officials and staff and the pro-people policies of the SAD-BJP government in the state.
 
Majithia claimed that in the recent report released by the union Human Resource Development Ministry, Punjab had earned accolades for improving the education scenario.
    
He said the state left behind larger states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala in successfully implementing school education programmes for all.
    
"It is a major leap forward. The state was at the 7th place last year and in just one year we have progressed to the 3rd position", he said.
     
The smaller states of Puducherry and Lakshdeep were the only states ahead of Punjab, because of their smaller size, but amongst the bigger states, Punjab was ahead of all, the minister asserted.
    
He said the report is prepared by keeping all aspects, including the infrastructure available in schools, teachers and staff, results and approach to the schools.
    
The new development followed the recent number one ranking of the state in general infrastructure development, changing economic progress patterns and future prospects of Punjabs economy, he said. 
 
Majithia gave credit to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal for their efforts to take the state to the new heights of development and progress.
     
Their government would continue working hard to take the state forward in economic progress, achieve a better human index by launching new society oriented schemes for the poor and downtrodden, he said.
 
Majithia took pride in that Punjab, which was turning backward economically in the past due to political-social and religious disturbances, had today surged ahead of states such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala to make progress in education. 

Punjab issues strict guidelines against ragging

Chandigarh: Punjab government issued strict instructions to all the technical institutions to take written undertaking from the students and their parents to not to take part in any kind of ragging activity.
 
Punjab Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister Anil Joshi asked the government and private polytechnics and ITI's to get anti ragging affidavits from students as well as their parents at the time of admission.
 
Joshi asked the Technical Education Department to issue instructions to all the Technical Educational Institutions to follow the Supreme Court guidelines in this regard.
 
"Strict action would be taken against the institution found violating the norms," Joshi said.
 
All institutions have been ordered to set up a helpline for the ragging victims, and the aggrieved students could lodge their complaint before the college authority. 

IIIT to come up at Kapurthala

Chandigarh: Punjab government gave the nod for setting up an Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) at Kapurthala, an official spokesperson said here.
      
A spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said Prakash Singh Badal also gave clearance for 50 acres of land for setting up this institute at a suitable site in or around Kapurthala.
 
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh apprised the CM about the upcoming IIIT which would be developed in Public-private partnership (PPP) mode at a cost of Rs 128 crore with the state government sharing 35 per cent of the cost, Centre 50 per cent and 15 per cent by a private player from the industry. 

Punjab Deputy CM proposes vocational training for jail inmates

Chandigarh: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal proposed vocational training for jail inmates in soft skills to enable them to find jobs after completion of their sentence.
 
In a meeting of jail department held here, Badal said it was the duty of the government to ensure that the inmates were given a kind of vocational training that helps them in finding rightful jobs.
 
He said the old kind of trades like farming, wood work, mason work in which jail inmates were being trained were not helpful in the post-reform era and it was imperative that they were provided training in computers,  software development, accountancy package that would make them employable in the new industry.
 
At another meeting, Badal said Chhatbir Zoological Park in district Ajitgarh (Mohali) with a population of 1,200 animals of 90 rare species could be a major centre of attraction if properly marketed and promoted.
 
Badal suggested that Punjab could also go in for night safari on the pattern of Jurong night safari in Singapore, an official spokesman said. 

Thapar university can't deny quota to Punjab students: Sukhbir

Chandigarh: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal took strong exception to the move of Thapar University amending rules to deny admission quota to students of Punjab in the engineering and polytechnic college without prior permission from the state government.
     
In a statement here, the Deputy Chief Minister said Thapar University at Patiala, earlier known as Thapar Technology Campus, was allotted 250 acres prime land at a highly concessional rate by the Punjab Government in 1956 with a singular aim of providing quality technical education to the students of the state.
     
He said that now Thapar University cannot be allowed to tweak rules, regulations and guidelines denying the legitimate admission quota without taking the permission of the state government.
     
He said that The Punjab Government would not allow Thapar University to deviate from the basic philosophy of educating students of Punjab for which the state government had alloted land to it.
    
Seeking a complete report from the Technical Education Department regarding Thapar University, the Deputy Chief Minister issued directions that the department take all preventive, corrective, legislative and legal measures to stop Thapar University from denying legitimate admission quota to state students.
    
He also said that Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has already sought intervention of Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal on the issue and both of them would soon call on Sibal to put a stop to the "mischief" of Thapar University.
    
Thapar university is a deemed university controlled by the Centre under the UGC guidelines.
    
The university officials had recently maintained that it was not opposed to denying quota to students from Punjab. 

Punjab to fill all vacancies of teachers

Chandigarh: The Punjab government Monday announced that all vacancies of school and college teachers will be filled soon.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal gave approval to fill all vacant posts to ensure smooth functioning of the educational institutions, a government spokesman said here.

At a meeting of education department officers here Monday, Badal directed the officers to immediately initiate the process of recruitment. 

He also asked officials to look into the viability of establishing the state level teachers recruitment board. Some 10,000-12,000 teachers retire every year. 

He said recruitment and promotions of teachers should be done regularly so that no vacancy is kept pending. 

Badal declared that 2012 and 2013 would be exclusively devoted to the overall development of government schools and higher institutions.

He also asked officials to fill all the vacant posts of principals in the colleges at the earliest to ensure their proper functioning.