Sangrur: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday paid obeisance to Maharishi Valmiki and flagged off a shobha yatra at Gandhi Basti in Dhuri to mark his Parkash Purab, reaffirming his govt’s commitment to the values of truth, righteousness, equality and justice espoused by the revered saint.Invoking the timeless teachings of the Ramayana, Mann said Punjab, the sacred land of Gurus and saints, would continue to uphold humanity, dignity and brotherhood, leaving no room for hatred.Emphasising the transformative power of education, Mann said children from economically disadvantaged families were clearing some of the country’s most prestigious competitive examinations, demonstrating that talent was not restricted by financial circumstances.He said that more than 30 lakh students appeared for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) every year, and 882 students from Punjab’s govt schools had cleared the examination in the recently announced results.Highlighting improvements in govt school education, Mann said only 80 students from govt schools had cleared NEET in 2021, compared with 882 in the latest results — an increase of nearly 11 times in four years. He said the achievement reflected progress in improving the quality of education in govt schools.Mann said his govt was committed to strengthening public education so that children from economically weaker sections could compete with their counterparts from privileged backgrounds on an equal footing.Targeting previous govts, he alleged that poor students had been deprived of their rightful pre-matric and post-matric scholarship funds, undermining the aspirations of disadvantaged families and denying deserving children opportunities to progress.
