SGPC to set up academy to prepare Sikh youth for competitive exams
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, April 23
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has announced to set up a preparatory academy for ‘gursikh’ youth who aspire to take the civil services examination or any other competitive exams. This was decided by the SGPC executive body during its meeting chaired by SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur on Thursday.
Dedicated to the 400th anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the academy would be named Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Institute of Competitive Studies. It would be operated from the premises of the Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra Institute of Advanced Studies in Sikhism, Bahadurgarh, in Patiala.
The students would be prepared to take IAS, IPS, NDA and grade-A central or state service examinations.
The SGPC president said the students would have to be ‘sabat soorat’ (with unshorn hair and beard). “Only Sikh graduate or postgraduate students who have attained the age of 20 years would be given free of cost coaching at this centre,” she said.
She said an inn at Gurdwara Ber Sahib in Sultanpur Lodhi too had been transformed into a hostel to accommodate the girls who were selected in the recently held trials in various disciplines for the sports academy. “The selected girls for the sports academy would be provided good coaching, sports equipment, diet and education, as well,” she said.
About another important decision of the SGPC executive, it was decided that free deliveries would be performed at Sri Guru Ram Das Medical College and Hospital. “In addition, a shagun of Rs 1,100 would be given on the birth of a girl child,” she said.
During the meeting, a condolence resolution was passed, offering condolences on the demise of SGPC members Dalwar Singh Chhiniwal, former member S Kuldeep Singh Dhos and SGPC member Gurpreet Singh Jhabbar’s mother Bibi Jarnail Kaur. Gurinderveer Singh, a student of Khalsa College, Jalandhar, who recently broke national record in athletics, was also honoured by the SGPC president and was givcn a cash award of Rs 2 lakh. Gurinderveer had set a record of 100 meters in 10.5 seconds in U-18 and U-20 categories. Bibi Jagir Kaur announced that the expenses for Gurinderveer’s education would also be borne by the SGPC.
