Focus on education in remote areas: CM

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 20

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the government was focusing on opening higher educational institutions in remote areas.

“We understand the importance of education of girlchild which will help in nation building and for this, educational institutions will have to be opened in remote areas,” he said. The Chief Minister presided over the concluding ceremony of the HP University Inter-College Youth Festival at Govind Ballabh Pant Memorial College at Rampur Bushahr in Shimla district.

He also announced that the college would not be upgraded to postgraduate degree college. He said the college started with 19 students and today the strength had touched 4,500.

Virbhadra said the government had opened or upgraded over 1,010 schools during 45 months taking the strength of schools to 15,500. “This includes 24 ITIs, two engineering colleges and 41 colleges, besides Indian Institute of Technology in Mandi, Indian Institute of Management in Sirmaur, AIIMS at Bilaspur and three medical colleges at Hamirpur, Chamba and Nahan, which have started functioning,” he said.

He said the youth festival was a platform for students where they could showcase their talents and could give expression to their creativity. He exhorted students to respect and preserve the age-old traditions, language, culture and customs, for which the state was known.

Students from 38 colleges took part in the cultural bonanza. Several competitions were held during the four-day long festival. The festival concluded on Tuesday.

The Chief Minister also distributed prizes to the winners of the competition and launched the Wi-Fi facility for the college. A two-minute silence was also observed as a mark of respect to the martyrs of the Uri attack. A cultural performance by students enthralled the audience. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Nand Lal also spoke.