Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today emphasised the need for reforms to improve the quality of education being imparted in government institutions.
He was speaking after inaugurating a newly constructed Block-C building of Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidyalaya (RKMV) constructed at a cost of Rs 9 crore here. He presided over the annual prize distribution ceremony of the college and honoured students who had excelled in various fields.
Sukhu said that the goal of the state government was not to merely open new schools and colleges but to ensure they were provided with qualified teachers and all essential facilities. He expressed concern over Himachal slipping to the 21st position in the country in terms of the quality of education.
He said that to ensure that the studies of students did not get affected, the government had decided to impose a complete ban on teacher transfers during the academic session. “The government is establishing Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools in all Assembly constituencies in a phased manner to enhance the quality of education in rural areas,” he added.
Sukhu said that the state government was committed to the welfare and betterment of women of the state and had taken several steps in this direction. “The government has raised the marriageable age of girls from 18 to 21 years and amended the 51-year-old HP Land Holding Ceiling Act, thus allowing adult daughters to claim a separate 150 bighas of ancestral property. The state government has introduced 30 per cent reservation for women in police recruitment,” he added.
He lauded the RKMV for its rich history and for producing distinguished alumni such as Himachal’s first Indian Foreign Service officer Vijay Thakur and IPS officer Tilotama Verma.
The Chief Minister made several announcements for the college, including the conversion of all classrooms into smart ones, construction of a new hostel with full funding and a provision of Rs 50 lakh for building a digital library and the repair of the science block.
He said that the state government had provided Rs 6 crore for the construction of Block-C. Earlier, Principal of the RKMV Anurita Saxena welcomed the Chief Minister and presented the annual report of the college. MLA Harish Janartha, Mayor Surinder Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal and Director Higher Education Amarjeet Sharma were present on the occasion.