Chandigarh, March 26:
Punjab School, Higher & Technical Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains, today praised the state budget 2025-26 as a landmark step towards educational transformation, with a massive allocation of Rs.17975 crore (12% of a total expenditure) for the education sector. The budget focuses on strengthening school education through Mission Samrath, which has already benefited 14 lakh students across 19,000 schools, improving learning outcomes by 15-25%. He said that these key initiatives include Rs.1240 crore for Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Rs.466 crore for PM Poshan, Rs.75 crore for free books and Rs.35 crore for uniforms. The government is converting 425 primary schools into ‘Schools of Happiness’ and has solar-powered 4098 schools, mentioned Harjot Singh Bains.
In higher education, Rs.199 crore has been allocated under RUSA and Rs.160 crore for infrastructure upgrades, while technical education gets Rs.579 crore, including Rs.33 crore for new ITIs, building on this year’s record 93.04% admission rate in government ITIs, said the Education Minister, while emphasizing Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government’s commitment to global standards, having sent hundreds of educators for training to premier institutions. “This budget showcases our four pillars of educational excellence i.e. quality learning, holistic development, sustainable infrastructure and inclusive growth, to make Punjab a national leader in education field,” he stated.
