Quality, affordable education is need of hour, says Pb CM Channi

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday said instead of freebies, ensuring quality and affordable education is the need of the hour as it is the key to good standard of living.He was addressing a gathering here at Guru Nanak Dev University after dedicating five chairs in the name of Bhagwan Valmiki, Bhai Jaita Baba Jiwan Singh, Bhagat Kabir, Dr B R Ambedkar and devout Sikh Bhai Makhan Shah Lubana.

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday said instead of freebies, ensuring quality and affordable education is the need of the hour as it is the key to good standard of living.

He was addressing a gathering here at Guru Nanak Dev University after dedicating five chairs in the name of Bhagwan Valmiki, Bhai Jaita (Baba Jiwan Singh), Bhagat Kabir, Dr B R Ambedkar and devout Sikh Bhai Makhan Shah Lubana. Terming education as key to good standard of living, Channi said until and unless quality education is imparted to the youth, the amelioration of poverty is impossible.

The 'Punjab Model' of his government is based on ensuring quality education and employment opportunities for all, Channi stressed. The need of the hour is to ensure quality and affordable education for all, instead of freebies, the CM added. Channi said Punjab is a welfare state and it is the responsibility of the government to ensure equal access to quality education and health. Channi said his government is committed to this objective by providing succour to the common man. Batting for making necessary amendments in the curriculum, he said it needs to be fine-tuned as per requirements of existing society.

To achieve this goal, universities are required to play a proactive role, he said.

Channi said these institutions are temples of higher learning, therefore, the fee structure should be rationalised so as to make education easily accessible to one and all. His government has already set the wheel in motion to bail out the universities from the fiscal crisis, he said, adding that a huge grant has already been given to Punjabi University, Patiala, and no stone will be left unturned for helping Guru Nanak Dev University.

However, Channi asked the university administration to evolve a viable mechanism for reducing fee of various courses.

The chief minister said, ''The Chairs on name of Bhagwan Valmiki, Bhai Jaita (Baba Jiwan Singh), Bhagat Kabir, Dr BR Ambdekar and Bhai Makhan Shah Lubaana will be instrumental in perpetuating their life and philosophy for our coming generations.'' The chief minister also announced to set up a Sangeet Academy on the university campus.

In his address, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu hailed the chief minister for setting up these chairs.

He expressed hope that these chairs will inspire future generations to stay connected with their glorious and rich heritage.

Sidhu also lauded the party high command, saying it has given the first Scheduled Castes CM to the state since independence.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)