Centre approves central university for Punjab: Badal

Ludhiana, Feb 12 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced that the Central Government has agreed in principle to set up a central university in the state.

Presiding over a Centenary Celebrations of Khalsa Dewan here at Khalsa College for Women, Mr Badal said, "This decision would go a long way in setting up a new benchmark in the pursuit of higher learning." Speaking on the occasion, Mr Badal said, "The Punjab Government has envisaged an ambitious programme to revamp the entire education system in the state by upgrading three Government Senior Secondary Schools in each constituency at a cost of Rs 50 lakh each besides opening a series of Adarsh Schools in each block of the state to provide quality education to the poor and meritorious students with rural background." Each such school would involve an expenditure of Rs four crore and would be set up in collaboration with the eminent industrial houses, he added.

"The basic objective of the entire programme is to boost the prospects of the education especially in the rural areas to provide better educational facilities to the students at par with their brethren in the urban areas." The Chief Minister appreciated the remarkable efforts and milestones achieved by the Khalsa Dewan during its path of 100 years in the services of mankind by establishing premier institutions of education at Ludhiana.

He also lauded the initiative of Khalsa Dewan for making outstanding contribution for promoting the cause of education for women and empowering them.

On the occasion, Mr Badal honoured the ex-faculty members of the college and released a souvenir on the completion of 100 years of Khalsa Dewan (1907-2007) and announced a grant of Rs 20 lakh for the development of the college.

UNI PS BP1713