Punjab Provides Over 61,000 Government Jobs to Youth in Four Years Under CM Bhagwant Singh Mann

Punjab's Mission Rozgar progresses as 606 new education appointments are handed to candidates, bringing the total government jobs to 61,281 since 2022. The move includes 385 Special Educator Teachers and the creation of a dedicated cadre for students with special needs, reinforcing merit, transparency, and education reform across the state.

Continuing the Punjab Government's flagship Mission Rozgar, Chief MinisterBhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday distributed appointment letters to 606 newlyrecruited candidates of the Education Department at a ceremony held atTagore Theatre. With this, the state has crossed a historic milestone ofproviding more than 61,000 government jobs to Punjab's youth within fouryears.

The newly appointed candidates include 385 Special Educator Teachers, 157Primary Teachers, eight Principals and 56 employees recruited oncompassionate grounds. Extending New Year greetings to the appointees, the Chief Minister said thisachievement reflects the government's firm commitment to merit, transparencyand fairness in public recruitment. He said that since assuming office inApril 2022, the state government has provided 61,281 government jobs purelyon merit. Notably, none of these appointments has been challenged in court,which he described as a matter of pride for the government and the youth ofPunjab.

Recalling past practices, the Chief Minister said earlier governmentsdistributed jobs among their sons, nephews and favourites, ignoringdeserving candidates. Qualified youth were forced to wait endlessly forappointment letters, but those days are now over. "Today, deserving andcapable youth are getting jobs based solely on merit, and the governmentitself honours them by personally handing over appointment letters," hesaid.

Highlighting social equity, CM Mann said the current system has opened doorsfor youth from ordinary families. "Traditional political parties treatedtheir families as Punjab, but for me, the entire state of Punjab is myfamily," he added.

Announcing a major reform in the education sector, the Chief Minister said aseparate cadre of Special Educator Teachers has been created for childrenwith special needs studying in government schools. Around 48,000 suchstudents are currently enrolled across the state, and to ensure qualityeducation, 385 teachers have been appointed under this special cadre. Theseappointments will help children with special needs develop skills at bothprimary and secondary levels.

Addressing the newly appointed Special Educator Teachers, the Chief Ministersaid their responsibility goes beyond teaching. He urged them to serve withdedication, noting that their role in shaping the future of these childrenis of immense importance.

Congratulating the newly appointed teachers and principals, CM Mann saidteachers play a vital role in nation-building. He compared teachers tosculptors who shape the future of students, adding that lessons imparted ata young age leave a lifelong impact.

Emphasising the government's focus on improving education quality, the ChiefMinister said government school teachers in Punjab are now receivingtraining at global standards. So far, 234 principals and education officershave been trained in Singapore, 249 head teachers at IIM Ahmedabad, and 216primary teachers at Turku University in Finland.

He said the state government's education reforms are now being discussednationwide. Punjab is establishing 118 Schools of Eminence to provideworld-class education to underprivileged children. Free uniforms are beingdistributed and free bus services for girls have been launched to ensure nogirl is deprived of education.

On the occasion, Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains thanked the ChiefMinister for spearheading an education revolution in Punjab. He said that in2022, nearly four lakh students in government schools had to sit on theground, but today every child has proper seating. He also said the free busservice for girls is benefiting nearly 10,000 schoolgirls daily.

Newly recruited teachers also shared their experiences. Nitin from Maloutsaid his lifelong dream had come true, while Navpreet Kaur from Gurdaspursaid joining government service through a transparent and merit-basedprocess was a proud moment. Other appointees, including teachers fromFazilka and Patiala, expressed gratitude to the state government. Among those present were Education Secretary Anindita Mitra, Director ofHigher Education H.S. Brar, Director of Secondary Education Gurinder SinghSodhi and other senior officials.