CHANDIGARH, 21st January 2026:

With the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann reaffirming its commitment to the holistic development of children, Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur on Wednesday announced the launch of an online registration portal for Play-Way schools during a media conference held at Punjab Bhawan.

Addressing the media, Minister for Social Security, Women and Child Development, Dr. Baljit Kaur, said, “Registration on this portal will be mandatory for all Play-Way schools operating in Punjab as well as for private schools imparting education to children below six years of age. This step has been taken to ensure effective monitoring of children’s education, safety and overall development.”

The Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister informed that a uniform curriculum is being prepared for children below six years of age, which will be implemented across Anganwadi centres, Play-Way schools and primary schools. “The training of Anganwadi workers and supervisors will be completed by mid-February. Instead of burdening children with books, education will be imparted through play-based and creative activities,” the Minister said.

Highlighting the importance of early childhood care, Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur said, “Nearly 90 percent of a child’s brain development takes place between the ages of zero and six years. Therefore, providing quality education and proper nutrition during this crucial period is a top priority of the Punjab Government.”

She further stated that under Mission Aarambh, parents have been actively connected with their children’s daily learning process. “By sharing digital content, children are being encouraged to learn with their parents at home as well. So far, 2,941 parent groups have been formed under this mission to strengthen parental participation in children’s cognitive development. Parents are also being sent daily activities on their phones so that they can actively participate in the learning process of their children at home,” she said.

Speaking about infrastructure development, the Minister stated, “Under the target of constructing 1,000 new Anganwadi centres, 1,000 modern Anganwadi centres are being developed at a cost of ₹100 crore, with approximately ₹10 lakh being spent on each centre. Out of these, 700 centres have already been completed with well-ventilated rooms, proper kitchens, baby toilets, Bala paintings and modern furniture. The remaining 300 centres will also be completed soon.”

Concluding, Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur said, “The Punjab Government is taking historic steps in the fields of education, nutrition and safety to ensure a secure and bright future for our children.”

Chandigarh, January 21, 2026:

Panjab University (PU) has recorded a significant improvement in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026, with notable gains in Computer Science, Life Sciences and Physical Sciences compared to the 2025 rankings.

As per the latest subject-wise rankings released by Times Higher Education, the University’s Computer Science discipline ranking improved from the 601–800 band in 2025 to the 501–600 band in 2026. Life Sciences registered a major jump from the 601–800 band to the 401–500 range, while Physical Sciences advanced from the 601–800 band to the 501–600 band.

In Medical and Health Sciences, PU continued to maintain a strong position in the 301–400 band globally. Business and Economics and Engineering remained stable in the 601–800 band, reflecting consistency in performance. Social Sciences retained its position in the 801–1000 band.

Appreciating the role of students, teachers and staff members in PU’s consistent improvement across all parameters in major global rankings over the past two years, Vice Chancellor Prof Renu Vig lauded their dedicated efforts in achieving this milestone. She said the University will continue to focus on improving student employability and value addition in research quality, teaching standards and global engagement to further strengthen its academic standing.

Chandigarh: January 21

The Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission, taking action in a case, has summoned the District Development and Panchayat Officer Sangrur (DDPO) to appear before the Commission.

Giving information in this regard, the Chairman of the Punjab State Scheduled Castes Commission, S. Jasvir Singh Garhi said that the Commission had received a complaint from Mr. Jagwinder Singh, son of Jarnail Singh, resident of village Bakhtari, Tehsil Bhawanigarh, district Sangrur.  In this regard, the District Development and Panchayat Officer Sangrur (DDPO) was asked to appear before the Commission on 20th January, 2026 for investigation, but no representative of the department appeared on this specific date, therefore the Commission has been summoned Mr. Jaswinder Singh Bagga DDPO to appear in person at the Commission office on the specified date 30-01-2026.

Chandigarh, January 20, 2026: Senior Chandigarh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and BJP National Council Member from Chandigarh -Sanjay Tandon, has warmly welcomed and hailed the unopposed election of Mr Nitin Nabin as the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, describing it as a moment of pride and renewed confidence for party workers across the country.

In a statement issued today, Sanjay Tandon said that the unanimous election of Mr Nitin Nabin shows the party’s strong internal democracy, organizational discipline and collective faith in his leadership abilities. He noted that Mr Nitin Nabin’s long-standing association with the party, grassroots experience and deep understanding of organizational functioning will further strengthen the BJP at both the national and state levels.

Mr Tandon expressed firm hope that under the dynamic leadership of Shri Nitin Nabin and the visionary guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the BJP will emerge much stronger in the coming years with an expanded support base cutting across regions, communities and age groups. He said that Prime Minister Modi’s development-oriented governance, strong national leadership and commitment to inclusive growth continue to inspire millions of Indians and energize BJP cadres nationwide.

The senior BJP leader further stated that the party is well-positioned to create history in the forthcoming assembly elections in Punjab, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh. He said that people in these states are increasingly looking towards the BJP for stable governance, transparent administration and decisive leadership and the party’s policies focused on development, national pride and social welfare are resonating strongly with voters.

Mr Tandon added that the BJP’s organizational strength, disciplined cadre and clear ideological direction will play a decisive role in securing emphatic victories in the upcoming polls. He extended his best wishes to Shri Nitin Nabin for a successful tenure and called upon party workers to unite, work with dedication and take the BJP’s vision to every section of society, ensuring historic electoral success under the party’s new national leadership.

Chandigarh, January 21:

          In line with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s vision to leverage technology for safer roads and better traffic management, Punjab Police and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Wednesday held a high-level coordination meeting to strengthen collaboration on highway safety and enforcement.

          The meeting, chaired by Special Director General of Police (Special DGP) Traffic and Road Safety Punjab AS Rai and NHAI Regional Officer Chandigarh Rakesh Kumar, focused on the effective utilisation of Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS) on existing and upcoming highway corridors, including the newly commissioned Kurali-Kharar-Mohali Bypass.

          Sharing details, Special DGP AS Rai said that both agencies discussed integrating enforcement protocols with ATMS data for real-time monitoring, automatic violation detection, and coordinated incident response.

          The agencies agreed to upgrade Traffic Aid Posts at key toll plazas and strategic non-toll locations to enhance roadside visibility and public assistance, he said, while, adding that a seamless operational linkage between SSF units and NHAI teams will ensure rapid response across major corridors.

          During the meeting, integration of emergency helplines 1033 and 112 was also reviewed to unify incident escalation for ambulance services, recovery vans, and Highway Patrol deployment, thereby reducing duplication of resources. Congestion issues near Chandigarh and Rajpura were examined, with NHAI committing to improvements within 2–3 months. Regular identification and evaluation of black spots will be conducted jointly, supported by data analytics from PRSTRC as the research wing of Punjab Police.

          Special DGP AS Rai affirmed full support to NHAI, stating, “We will work together so that the best safety and security services are delivered to the state’s commuters.”

          RO Chandigarh Rakesh Kumar emphasised the value of joined-up action, stating, “Engineering will be more effective if supported by enforcement for road safety and traffic management. Punjab is a leader in the country, and we are working jointly to improve this further to save every precious life.”

          Among those present were Traffic Advisor to Government of Punjab Dr Navdeep Asija; Project Director PIU-Chandigarh Aashim Bansal; and DSP Traffic & Road Safety Ganesh Kumar.

Chandigarh, Jan 21:

1. Election Commission of India’s (ECI) 3-day conference International Conference on Democracy and Election Management (IICDEM) 2026 began at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi today.

2. In a specially organized Reception Ceremony, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, Shri Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners (ECs) Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, welcomed nearly 60 international delegates.

3. The conference got underway with a grand Inaugural Session which was attended by nearly 1,000 persons including delegates from 42 Election Management Bodies (EMBs), Ambassadors/High Commissioners of 27 countries, experts from over 70 national institutions and senior officers of the ECI and 36 Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) from across India.

4. Welcoming the participants, CEC Shri Gyanesh Kumar, said that the work of EMBs has evolved significantly over the past decades. India, as the world’s largest democracy, conducts elections on an unprecedented scale, encompassing 28 states and 8 union territories, with a population of 1.5 billion.

5. Describing the faith placed by citizens in the EMBs as precious, EC Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu said that at the heart of every election is a citizen, believing that their choice will be respected and it is the collective responsibility of EMBs to protect it.

6. Speaking at the inaugural session, EC Dr. Vivek Joshi said that IICDEM-2026 brings together EMBs, researchers, students and practitioners who view elections from different angles and contribute to their respective institutions.

7. Speaking on the theme of IICDEM-2026, DG IIIDEM, Shri Rakesh Verma said that the theme for India’s chairship, democracy for an inclusive, peaceful, resilient and sustainable world reflects a broad and multi-dimensional understanding of what democracy must deliver in the 21st century.

8. The participants viewed glimpses from the upcoming docuseries, “India Decides” produced in collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery. Managing Director, Warner Bros. Discovery, Shri Arjun Nohwar in his speech said that the docuseries, through compelling visuals, portrays the general elections through the working of an institution that carries one of the most complex mandates anywhere in the world.