85% surge in enrolment at Govt colleges points to success in curbing brain drain, says Bains
Punjab Emerges as a Global Education Hub
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh, July 11:-
The Punjab Government is set to expand its educational infrastructure with plans to establish new government colleges in the state, having a special focus on border areas and underserved regions, announced Harjot Singh Bains, Minister for Higher Education, Punjab.
While moving the Rayat Bahra Professional University, Hoshiarpur Bill-2025 and C.G.C. University, Mohali Bill, 2025 in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday, S. Bains highlighted the state's remarkable progress in the field of education, citing an 85% increase in enrolment in government colleges.
The Education Minister stated that the all the colleges in the state— Government, Private, Aided— saw a significant rise in student enrolment, from 7 lakh in 2022 to 9 lakh in the last academic session. Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda, witnessed a notable surge in enrolment, growing from 1,400 to 2,480 students. Furthermore, the state has expanded its ITI seats by approximately 35,000 in the past three years, with an impressive 99% seat fill-up rate last year, and further, plans to add 5,000-7,000 more seats this year.
He attributed this growth to the CM Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab government’s commitment to transform Punjab into a global education hub. Notably, the government has provided over 54,000 government jobs to the youth, which has significantly helped in curbing brain drain.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is the only party in the country's history to have made education a central plank of its agenda during the 2022 Punjab Assembly polls, Bains said while adding that education is the topmost priority of the Punjab Government.
He highlighted that the state has introduced new-age courses in emerging fields such as Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Banking, Financial Services, Digital Marketing, Hospitality & Tourism, and Event Management. Furthermore, the state government has also ensured timely disbursement of Scheduled Caste scholarship so that no student should be deprived of quality education due to financial constraints.
The Education Minister said that just three years ago, a staggering 90% of professors’ posts were vacant, and some faculty members were working on a meager salary of Rs 20,000 per month. However, CM Mann-led Government has increased their remuneration to Rs 50,000. He also assured all guest faculty professors that their services are valued and their jobs are secure. The state has made significant progress in recruiting young and talented faculty members to government colleges, filling vacancies that had vacated for decades.
Punjab has become a preferred destination for international students, with students from 70 countries currently studying in the state, he added.
The Education Minister said that concerted efforts are being made to foster meaningful collaboration between academia and industry for empowering students to acquire practical skills and experience. Additionally, initiatives like the Business Blaster program aim to promote entrepreneurship and innovation among students. Through this program, students receive seed money and mentorship support, encouraging them to think creatively and develop their own business ideas, thereby transforming them from job seekers to job providers.