Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday said that ensuring quality and affordable education instead of free facilities is the need of the hour as it is the key to a good standard of living. He was addressing a gathering at Guru Nanak Dev University here after dedicating five chairs in the name of Bhagwan Valmiki, Bhai Jaita (Baba Jeevan Singh), Bhagat Kabir, Dr BR Ambedkar and the devout Sikh Bhai Makhan Shah Lubana. Describing education as the key to a good standard of living, Channi said that unless quality education is provided to the youth, reform of poverty is impossible.
Channi stressed that his government’s ‘Punjab model’ is based on ensuring quality education and employment opportunities for all. The Chief Minister said that the need of the hour was to ensure quality and affordable education for all instead of free. Channi said that Punjab is a welfare state and it is the responsibility of the government to ensure equitable access to quality education and health. Channi said that his government was committed to the cause by providing assistance to the common man. Advocating for necessary amendments in the curriculum, he said that it needs to be rectified as per the requirements of the present society. He said that universities have to play an active role to achieve this goal.
Channi said that since these institutions are temples of higher education, the fee structure should be rationalized so as to make education easily accessible to all. Noting that his government has already expedited the pace to bail out universities from the financial crisis, he added that a huge grant has already been given to Punjabi University, Patiala, and no one has come to help Guru Nanak Dev University. No stone will be left unturned. , Channi, however, asked the university administration to develop a viable mechanism to reduce the fees for various courses.
“The chairs named after Bhagwan Valmiki, Bhai Jaita (Baba Jeevan Singh), Bhagat Kabir, Dr BR Ambedkar and Bhai Makhan Shah Lubana will play an important role in maintaining their life and philosophy for our coming generations,” the Chief Minister said. The Chief Minister also announced to set up a Sangeet Academy in the university campus. In his address, Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu appreciated the Chief Minister for setting up these chairs.
He hoped that these chairs would inspire the coming generations to stick to their glorious and rich heritage. Sidhu also lauded the party high command saying that it has given the state the first scheduled caste chief minister after independence.
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