Badal wants corporate houses to invest in education sector

Ludhiana, Apr 15 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced that the state government would involve the corporate sector in streamlining, modernising and broad basing education both at the school and the college levels in the State.

The government was already in touch with the leading corporate houses in the country in this regard and would welcome their participation in the multi-facility, he said while presiding over a function to mark the inauguration of Satya Bharti School programme of the Bharti Foundation at Ladhowal, near here.

He also announced that the State government would soon set up a World Class Multi-disciplinary University in the State to impart quality higher education to the students to enable them to compete globally.

Addressing the functing, Mr Badal assured fulsome support and cooperation to the Bharti Foundation for furthering its mission to spread education in every nook and cranny of the State.

Mr Badal said the State government had already under taken a massive programme for the upgradation of 351 senior secondary government schools at a cost of Rs 142 crore to provide quality education in the science and commerce stream. This was in addition to the Adarsh Schools, he added.

On the recruitment of 14000 teachers under various categories for the government schools, he said the entire process had been completed in a transparent manner and the appointment letters were being issued by the State Education Department in a phased manner to enable them to join their duties during the current academic session.

Appreciating the role of Bharti Foundation, Information and Public Relations Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said the Foundation had already taken a lead in establishing 100 village primary schools in the State. He said eight Satya Bharti Primary schools and 21 community centers were already operational in Punjab with more than 1200 children and over 100 teachers.

On the occasion, Mr Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman Bharti Enterprises said with more than 300 million illiterate children in India in the age group of 7 years and above, providing access to quality education was a major challenge for the country but was firmed on the belief that this initiative would bear fruits in future.

UNI HS BK GT RN1946