Himachal Govt contemplating introducing B.Ed course after Class 12: CM Sukhu

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the state government is contemplating introducing a Bachelor of Education BEd course immediately after the 12th standard He was speaking at an annual prize distribution ceremony of St Bedes College Shimla on Thursday He emphasised the importance of preparing students for future challenges and said that the state government has introduced several newage courses such as AI and Data Storage to equip youth with futureready skillsThe CM also announced Rs 5 lakh for outstanding college students and reiterated the governments commitment to womens empowerment He highlighted that Himachal Pradesh is the first state in India to increase the marriage age of girls to 21 years according to an official statement from the Chief Ministers Office Expressing concern over the menace of drug abuse he said that the government has launched an antidrug campaign in the state and will take even stronger measures in the future to curb this evilHe assured that the government was making every possible effort to protect the youth from falling into drug addiction and is promoting sports activities among the youth in the State The government has increased prize money for international competitions and raised the diet money for players he addedSukhu said Previously Under17 and Under19 players received a diet money of Rs 150 for Statelevel competitions and Rs 250 for Nationallevel competitions The present government has increased these amounts to Rs 400 and Rs 500 respectively Similarly for under14 players the diet money for statelevel competitions has been raised from Rs 120 to Rs 250 and for nationallevel events from Rs 250 to Rs 400 Additionally players travelling for competitions outside the state will be provided AC threetier rail fare facility for distances up to 200 km and economyclass airfare for distances beyond 200 kmFocusing on education and health reforms the Chief Minister said that the government has introduced significant changes in these sectors in the state For the first time government school students were sent on exposure visits to Singapore and Cambodia and teachers were sent abroad to learn modern teaching methodologiesHe said that to enhance educational infrastructure the government is establishing Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools in every assembly constituency of the state in a phased manner which will focus on both the academics and personality development of the students along with providing nutritious meals Structural reforms are also underway to improve the functioning of education directorates he saidThe Chief Minister pointed out that due to the wrong policies of the previous government Himachal Pradesh had slipped to the 21st position in the country in terms of education quality However the current governments efforts have led to significant improvements he remarkedOn healthcare sector the Chief Minister said that the state government has allocated Rs 1800 crore to modernize medical colleges and hospitals of the state with advanced technology and stateoftheart machinery He said that outdated equipment often hinders timely diagnosis and treatment but the present government is committed to upgrading the healthcare systemRecalling his student days he shared I visited St Bedes College 40 years ago to participate in a debate competition It is a prestigious institution that has maintained its reputation over the years My political journey began at the age of 17 years when I was elected as a Class Representative at Government College Sanjauli This early experience paved the way for my election as a Municipal Councilor and later as an MLAAddressing climate change he described it as one of the biggest challenges of the present era He said that Himachal Pradesh faced severe natural calamities in 2023 affecting 23000 families Emphasizing the need to preserve the states rich cultural and natural heritage he reiterated the governments vision to make Himachal a Green Energy State The Chief Minister also felicitated meritorious students at the eventThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever