VC’s conference: Reversed trend of students going overseas for education, says Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann
Addressing the conference, Mann said the state government is committed to giving impetus to higher education in Punjab for which no stone is being left unturned
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday called upon the academicians to play a proactive role in ensuring the empowerment of the common man by imparting quality education to the students.
“All the academicians sitting under this roof are achievers by virtue of their hard work, dedication and sincerity but the onus of producing more gems like you lies solely on your shoulders”, he said, while addressing the gathering during a conference of the vice-chancellors here at the Punjab Raj Bhawan. He lauded Punjab governor Gulab Chand Kataria for holding this conference which will go a long way in further improving the standard of higher education in the state. Mann also had a meeting with the governor. A spokesperson of the chief minister’s office (CMO) said that they did not discuss any other issues during their meeting.
Addressing the conference, Mann said the state government is committed to giving impetus to higher education in Punjab for which no stone is being left unturned. “We have two big universities with more than 40, 000 students, but due to the regressive policies of the previous governments, the number of students from Punjab in these universities was less. Due to the efforts being made by his government, the trend of going abroad has been reversed. A surge has been witnessed in the colleges and universities of state for admissions,” he added.
The chief minister said that 43 government colleges of Punjab have been accredited by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) and three colleges got an ‘A Grade’.
Mann said the state government is mulling to introduce artificial intelligence in agriculture, education, finance and police departments.
Kataria concluded the conference by sharing his vision of making Punjab a national leader in education. The governor urged the state government to offer strong backing to academic institutions, supporting them in advancing research and innovation. “With collective efforts, we can elevate Punjab’s education system and position it as a national model,” he stated.
The governor suggested that this conference be organised twice a year, allowing for continuous sharing of insights and tracking progress. Cabinet minister Harjot Singh Bains also addressed the gathering.
The meeting featured NAAC director Ganesan Kannabiran, University Grants Commission (UGC) joint secretary Avichal Raj Kapur and UGC former chairman Ved Prakash.
