PUNJAB TO INTRODUCE CAREER COUNSELING
SCHEME TO IMPROVE HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY EDUCATION
Chandigarh June 15, 2008
For the first time in the history, Punjab today introduced career
counseling for all 10+2 students in the state in order to facilitate
aptitude-oriented professional placement for the state's youth.
This landmark decision aimed at improving both quality education
and human resource development, was taken here today at a high
level meeting. Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal had with
all the Vice chancellors of the Universities in the state. With
this decision, Punjab becomes the first state in the country to
introduce career counseling for all the students prior to college
level.
Giving details of the new scheme Chief Minister's Media Advisor
Mr. Harcharn Bains said in a press release that this exercise
would also help the students to choose subjects in view of their
scope and vocational potential. The counseling exercise for students
securing first division or above would be held from June 20 to
July 3 in the Government colleges affiliated to the concerned
University. This would be held under direct supervision of Secretary,
School Education, Punjab and the Vice Chancellor. Other students
would be provided career counseling by the principals of their
respective colleges. Special counseling session would be organized
at district head quarters. Mr. Badal ordered the schedule for
counseling to be prepared and advertise today itself. Accordingly,
the Government notified the schedule as per details given below.
The Punjabi University Patiala would hold counseling of first
divisioners at Dashmesh College Badal in Mukatsar district on
June 20, Government Mohindra College Patiala on June 23, Government
College S.A.S. Nagar (Mohali) on June 24, Government Ranbir College
Sangrur on June 25, Mata Gujari College Fatehgrah Sahib on June
26, Government Rajindra College on June 27, Government College
Ropar on June 28 and S.D. College Barnala on July 2 and Government
College Mansa on July 3. Similarly, the Guru Nanak Dev University
would conduct counseling at Government College, Kapurthala on
June 23, Khalsa College Amritsar on June 24, Government college
Gurdaspur on June 25, DAV College Jalandhar on June 26. Punjab
University Chandigarh would undertake the programme of counseling
at Government College for Boys, Ludhiana on June 23, DM. College
Moga on June 24, R.S.D. College Ferozepur June 25, Government
College Hoshiarpur on June 26 and DAV College of Education Nawanshahar
on June 27.
Mr. Badal asked the Social Security Department to advertise
all the scholarship schemes for Schedule Castes, Backward Classes
and minority students in the leading newspapers and publishing
publicity material so that maximum students could reap the benefits
of the schemes. Mr. Badal also directed all the Vice Chancellors
to introduce the scheme of free education to the single girl child
on the pattern of already adopted by Punjab University Chandigarh.
Mr. Badal further asked the VCs to regularly convene the meetings
of the Principals of the affiliated colleges to update them on
the various ongoing Centrally Sponsored and University Grants
Commission's schemes in the field of higher education. At the
behest of Mr. Badal, Vice Chancellor Panjab University Dr. R.C.
Sobti agreed to host such meeting at Chandigarh in the mid of
July. The meeting would also attended by the senior officers of
school, higher and technical education, besides senior functionaries
of the Ministry of Human Resources Development and University
Grant Commission.
This meeting was attended, apart from the Vice Chancellors of
all the universities in the state, by Chief Minister's Media Advisor
Mr. Harcharn Bains, Chief Secretary Mr. R.I. Singh, Principal
Secretary D.S. Guru, Principal Secretary Technical Education-cum-Vice
Chancellor Punjab Technical University Jalandhar Tejinder Kaur,
Principal Secretary Animal Husbandry Subodh Aggarwal, Secretary
Industries S.S. Channy, Secretary Higher Education Iqbal Singh
Sandhu, Secretary School Education K.B.S. Sidhu, Secretary Social
Security Narinderjit Singh and Additional Director Social Security
Lakha Singh.
Later, in the evening the Chief Minister held an interactive
session with the Principals and the Heads of the Private Engineering
Colleges in the state. He asked the management of these colleges
to reserve at least 10% seats for the poor and bright students
with rural background and to provide them totally free education
covering fees, books and boarding or traveling expenses. He offered
wholesome government support to colleges opting for this scheme.
Responding to the Chief Minister's proposal, the management of
the Engineering, pharmacy and Architectural Colleges group agreed
in Principle to reserve 1600 seats in degree courses and 2000
seats in diploma courses. The Chief Minister also asked the management
of these colleges to start evening course for short-term technical
certificate for these poor students.
Prominent among others who attended the meeting included Chairman
Satnam Singh Sandhu and President Rashpal Singh Dhaliwal of Chandigarh
Group of Colleges, Mr. Manjit Singh of Doaba Group of Colleges,
Dr. Zora Singh of Desh Bhagat Group of Colleges and Mr. Sukhdev
Singla Chairman Indo-Global Group of Colleges.
PUNAB TO BE DEVELOPED AS VEG EXPORT BASE-BADAL
Chandigarh June 15, 2008
The Punjab Government today announced a series of measures to
develop the state as a national hub for vegetable export. A decision
to this effect was taken at a meeting Chief Minister Punjab Mr.
Parkash Singh Badal had with a delegation of individual exporters
vegetable perishables.
Chief Minister's Media Advisor Mr. Harcharn Bains said that
the government would treat vegetable exports as a priority sector.
Mr. Badal would also meet the Union Agriculture Minister Mr. Shard
Pawar to seek preferential status to Punjab for vegetable exports.
The Chief Minister would also press for expanding the present
scale of trade through the Attari-Wagha Border to turn it into
a full scale commercial zone, said Mr. Bains.
The state government also announced a package of incentives
to boost vegetables exports from the state, especially to the
Middle East, Europe and South East.
The Punjab Government would extend the facility of uninterrupted
power supply and direct supply lines from the urban feeders to
pre-cooling chambers and refrigeration units on the farms of the
exporters. The entire expenditure for shifting of the electricity
line from rural to urban feeders to would be borne by the Punjab
Agri Export Corporation (PAGREXCO). Similarly, power for the cooling
chambers and refrigerated vans would be supplied as per agriculture
rates instead of commercial as at present. Mr. Badal would soon
take up the issue of the certification of Animal quarantine Center
to be set up at Attari-Wagha Border in Amritsar district with
the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Chief Minister appreciated the initiatives taken by these
exporters to promote the concept of diversification of agriculture
in true spirit and asked the other farmers of the state to replicate
the experiment. He also promised to allot them a chunk of Panchayat
Lands on lease basis for the cultivation of fruit and vegetables
on large scale. Mr. Badal also asked the PAGREXO to provide reefer
vans for the export of these fruits and vegetables on the nominal
charges, said Mr. Bains.
The meeting was attended by Chief Minister's Media Advisor Mr.
Harcharn Bains, Chief Secretary Punjab Mr. R.I Singh, Financial
Commissioner Development Mr. R.S. Sandhu, Deputy Commissioner
Amritsar K.S. Pannu, M.D. Punjab Agro Mr. S.K. Sandhu and Additional
Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. Gagandeep Singh
Brar. The delegation of exporters consisted of ;K.B.S Sidhu (Patiala
horticulture Pvt. Ltd, H.P.S. Bajwa, Upinder Singh Randhawa (Amrtisar
district) and Sukhpal Singh Bhullar( Bhullar Orchid, Bathinda).
FOLLOW THE LEGACY OF GURU ARJAN DEV JI
- BADAL
CHANDIGARH JUNE 15, 2008
Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today called upon
the people to follow the precious legacy and the noble path shown
by Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth master of the Sikhs who made
a supreme sacrifice for preserving the rich values of humanism,
secularism and unity of mankind.
In a message on the 402nd martyrdom day of Sri Guru Arjan Dev
Ji, Mr. Badal said that Guru ji laid down his life for a noble
cause and his unparalleled selfless sacrifice would ever act as
a source of inspiration for the future genrations. Guru ji compiled
the sacred 'Bani' of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji, which is a
'beacon light and will continue to guide the destiny of human
beings to lead a pious and perfect life. The real homage to the
great Guru would be to follow his noble teachings, high ideals
in true spirit and strive hard to safeguard the interests of oppressed
and disadvantaged sections of the society.
"We must remember the underlying spirit and message associated
with Sri Guru Arjan Dev ji's unprecedented sacrifice", said
Mr. Badal.