Sunam (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora today launched a special initiative aimed at further strengthening the school education sector in Sunam constituency by distributing school bags to 5,710 girl students studying in Classes 6 to 12 at Shaheed S. Bhagwan Singh Government Smart School (Girls), Longowal. The initiative aims to provide school bags to all 19,886 students studying in 129 government schools across the constituency. His wife, Sabina Arora, was also present on the occasion.
Aman Arora said that the initiative was being undertaken by his family through the Babu Bhagwan Das Arora Foundation. He said that school bags would also be provided to all the remaining students of the constituency in the coming days.
The Cabinet Minister said that providing basic educational facilities to children belonging to economically weaker and needy families was a collective responsibility of society. He said that the objective of the initiative was not only to provide convenience to students but also to encourage them towards education and boost their confidence.
Aman Arora said that, in order to motivate students to work harder in their studies, meritorious students from Sunam constituency who had achieved success in national-level competitive examinations such as the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) were specially honoured.
He said that 13 students from the constituency had qualified in NEET/JEE, including eight girl students. Besides, students who secured first, second and third positions in their respective classes were also honoured with certificates and medals.
The Cabinet Minister said that the daughters of Punjab were continuously excelling in the field of education. He said that girls had proved their capabilities in various fields, including medical, non-medical, defence and civil services. He said that the achievements of daughters were a matter of pride for the entire society and that providing them with equal opportunities was the need of the hour.
Responding to a question from the media regarding fee hikes by private schools, Arora said that the Punjab Government had taken legal measures to provide relief to parents from arbitrary fee increases.
He said that, as per the rules, no private school could increase its fees by more than 5 per cent. He said that if any school charged fees beyond the prescribed limit, appropriate action would be taken as per the rules, and steps would also be taken to ensure the refund of any excess amount collected.
He said that the state government was committed to preventing the commercialisation of education and protecting parents from an unnecessary financial burden.
Arora said that the state government was continuously undertaking reforms in the education sector and giving special attention to providing students of government schools with quality education along with the necessary facilities.
He said, “Our aim is to ensure that no child is deprived of education due to financial constraints. Encouraging students of government schools by providing them with quality education and necessary facilities, as well as recognising their achievements, is our priority. Today, students of Punjab’s government schools are performing exceptionally well at the national level, which is a matter of great pride for us.”
Aman Arora said that irrespective of the stream or trade chosen by a student, he would always stand by every student and remain committed to working for their bright future. He said that the government’s objective was to provide every child with opportunities for quality education and thereby lay a strong foundation for their bright future.
Deputy Commissioner Poonamdeep Kaur, Senior Superintendent of Police Dr. Ravjot Grewal, District Education Officer Tarwinder Kaur, along with officers from various departments, prominent citizens, a large number of students and parents, and local residents were present on the occasion.
