Shimla, March 17 Despite financial challenges, the budget for the education and health sectors would not be curtailed, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said while presiding over a one-day principal's conference on reforms in higher education here on Tuesday.
Launching the Internal Ranking of Government Colleges, he said that "to boost self-confidence is of paramount importance so that students can effectively take on future challenges and for this, the role of teachers and education is vital," a statement issued here said.
He also directed the introduction of new-age courses and additional language programs in colleges to enhance student employability. To ensure quality education, a college ranking system has been introduced on the lines of school rankings, he added.
He stressed opening new specialized colleges for streams such as science, commerce, and fine arts.
A science college spanning 50 bighas is being set up at Hamirpur, and the state government has released Rs 20 crore for the project, Sukhu said.
Additionally, commerce and other specialized colleges would be set up across the state, he added.
The chief minister further said efforts are being made to bridge existing gaps and introduce meaningful reforms in higher education.
Recruitment processes are ongoing to fill 400 posts for assistant professors and as many junior assistant professors. The state government has also restructured the education department by establishing the Directorate of School Education and the Directorate of Higher Education.
The teachers in the state are efficient and well-qualified, and these reforms would enable them to perform better and deliver quality education to students, Sukhu said.
He further said that the impact of introducing schools under the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has been visibly positive, as student enrollment in these institutions has increased significantly, he added.
The state government would provide all required teachers in these CBSE schools within the next two months, he said.
The chief minister honoured all the top-ranked colleges in the Internal Ranking of Government Colleges and presented cheques of Rs 1 lakh each to them.
He launched the Vikrami Samvat Calendar of the Himachal Pradesh Sanskrit Academy and also virtually inaugurated the digital initiatives of Government Colleges at Bilaspur, Dharamshala, and Chaura Maidan.