Central University to come up within 18 months, Union Education Minister Smriti Irani lays the stone with Chief Minister PS Badal.
Massive growth in education facilities in Punjab in the recent past has made the state a hub of education in the country. Addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone of the Central University of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab said that the Punjab government has taken unprecedented steps to boost the education sector in the state.
He said, “Apart from setting up 10 new Universities and 17 Degree Colleges, the state government has also given due emphasis on strengthening the infrastructure in government schools across the state.”
The Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab Sukhbir Singh Badal while addressing the gathering said, “Today is a historic day for the Malwa region, especially Bathinda, as a novel beginning has been made in the field of education. On the completion, the university would impart quality education to 18,000 students who would be given every possible facility. A budget of Rs. 2,000 crore has been earmarked for this purpose.”
Divulging more details about the development initiatives of the State Government, the Deputy Chief Minister said, “1 lakh government jobs would soon be advertised and every assembly constituency would get Rs. 25 crore for carrying out the development works.”
In her address the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Zubin Irani said, “Central University of Punjab was one of the best universities of the country. Punjab must take the lead of introducing farm techniques, water, rural and food processing management courses in the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) set up at Amritsar so that the rest of country should follow it.”
Irani also mooted a proposal for possible tie-up between the Union HRD Ministry and Food Processing Ministry chalking out a roadmap for expansion of food processing industry in the state by imparting education to the students.
The Union Minister also announced that the new campus of the Central University of Punjab would be ready within 18 months. She said, “The university would act as a catalyst of education in the entire region as world renowned experts from across the globe would be roped in to deliver important lectures to the students.” Irani hoped that this university would play an instrumental role in checking the brain drain of the region by opening new vistas of employment in education sector for them.
