CHANDIGARH, January 21, 2026

The Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government has inaugurated the Senior Citizen Home ‘Satkar Ghar’ at Mansa, taking another concrete step towards building a robust and humane social security framework for the elderly. The facility has been developed by the Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development with the objective of providing safe, dignified and supportive residential care to senior citizens, particularly those without family support.

The ‘Satkar Ghar’ initiative reflects the Punjab Government’s broader commitment to ensuring care, safety and emotional well-being of senior citizens at the district level. By creating dedicated residential infrastructure with assured services, the government has sought to address the long-standing neglect faced by elderly persons who require structured institutional support.

Constructed with a financial outlay of ₹9 crore, the Senior Citizen Home at Mansa is spread across 28 kanals and has a total residential capacity of 72 senior citizens. The three-storey building has been designed to provide uniform facilities across all floors, with seven rooms on each floor accommodating 24 residents per level. The layout ensures accessibility, comfort and parity in living conditions for all residents.

To ensure smooth functioning and continuous care, 19 posts have been sanctioned for the facility, covering caregiving, maintenance and administrative requirements. Operations are being managed through outsourced staff to provide round-the-clock assistance and ensure that residents receive timely support for their daily needs.

The inauguration of ‘Satkar Ghar’ at Mansa underlines the Punjab Government’s focus on inclusive governance and welfare-driven policy, extending support to citizens across all stages of life. Under the leadership of Bhagwant Mann, the state government has consistently emphasised strengthening public institutions that uphold dignity, care and social responsibility, with the senior citizen home emerging as a key pillar of this approach.

Chandigarh, January 21:

The Legal Metrology Wing of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, Punjab, has been on upward trajectory on the multiple parameters such as compounding fees collected, inspections and the verifications carried out this year from April to December 2025 when compared with the same period the previous year.

In terms of the Compounding Fees, the Legal Metrology Wing collected Rs. 1.40 Crore in 2025-26 whereas during the same period in the year 2024-25, the wing collected just more than Rs. 1 Crore. The wing carried out as many as 22133 inspections in 2025-26 while the figures of inspections stood at 18419 during the year 2024-25. In the matter of challans done, the number stood at 2230 in 2025-26 whereas during the year 2024 – 25 the number of challans totalled 1397.

The Food, Civil Supplies and the Consumer Affairs Minister Mr. Lal Chand Kataruchak has appreciated the hard work put in by the officers of the department and has exhorted them to work with even more zeal and dedication.

Notably, the wing has department owned standard laboratories at Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala while the new ones are slated to come up at Sirhind and Khanna.

The main objectives of the Legal Metrology Wing is to safeguard the interest of the consumers by ensuring that goods sold and bought are correct in quantity and volume as claimed.

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, January 21:

          In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busted a cross-border illegal arms module linked to Pakistan-based smugglers with the arrest of two operatives and recovered six sophisticated pistols from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.

          Those arrested have been identified as  Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi (22), a resident of village Rattoke in Tarn Taran and Surjit Singh (35), a resident of Chela Colony in Tarn Taran. The latter has a criminal history with several cases including under the NDPS Act have been registered against him. The recovered weapons include two 9MM Glock pistols and four .30 bore pistols along with two live cartridges.

          DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the arrested accused were involved in illegal arms trafficking and supplying weapons to gangsters under directions of their foreign-based handlers. Further investigations are ongoing to establish forward and backward linkages in this case, he said.

          Sharing operation details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that following reliable inputs about the movement of illegal weapons, police teams apprehended suspect Gurpreet alias Gopi and recovered three .30 bore pistols and one Glock along with two live cartridges from his possession. Sustained interrogation revealed that the accused was in direct contact with Pakistan-based smugglers through various social media platforms and was receiving consignments of illegal arms through drones to further supply these weapons to gangsters, he said.

          The CP said that based on disclosures of Gurpreet alias Gopi, police teams have also apprehended his associate Surjit Singh and recovered one Glock and one .30 bore from his possession. Investigation has revealed that Surjit Singh was actively involved in transporting and delivering illegal arms at different locations as part of the same network, he said.

          In this regard, a case FIR No. 14 Dated 13-01-2026 has been registered under sections 25(1-A) and 25(6,7,8) of the Arms Act at Police Station Islamabad in Amritsar.

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.