Mohali, March 25 Punjab Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr Baljit Kaur said on Wednesday that the state has ranked second in the country in disbursing scholarships to Scheduled Caste and other students, with nearly 10 lakh students benefiting under the Bhagwant Mann government.
Addressing a tool kit distribution and awareness programme in Mohali, she said the government has expanded education and welfare schemes to ensure benefits reach every district.
The minister said 1,506 ITI students will benefit under the Free Textbooks and Tool Kits Scheme for Schedule Caste students, which is fully funded by the state government.
In the first phase, 630 students from six districts – SAS Nagar, Rupnagar, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib and Ludhiana – have been covered across 32 government ITIs.
She said the initiative aims to promote skill development, entrepreneurship and self-reliance among youth.
Kaur also said the Minority Scholarship Programme, which was earlier limited to two districts, has now been extended to all districts in the state.
She added that the government is committed to uplifting weaker sections through education and empowerment.
MLAs Kulwant Singh and Kuljit Singh Randhawa appreciated the initiative, saying it would help ITI trainees become self-reliant.