Himachal Speaker launches scholarship scheme for meritorious girls

Speaker of Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Kuldeep Singh Pathania launched a new scholarship scheme at the Government Senior Secondary School, Bagdhar, with the aim of supporting meritorious girl students from government schools.

The scholarship, introduced by Modern Navdurga Education Trust, was launched during an event held on Thursday where the Speaker distributed the first installment of the scholarship to 13 students from classes 11 and 12 of Bagdhar, Bathri, Dalhousie and Banikhet schools.

Each student will receive Rs 1,000 per month until the completion of Class 12, as part of this free scholarship initiative. In his address on the occasion, Pathania emphasized the importance of disciplined and hardworking lifestyles among youth to achieve success in today’s competitive world. “Persistent efforts and unwavering focus on goals are essential, even in the face of failures,” he remarked.

Highlighting the state government’s commitment to educational development, Pathania said that Himachal Pradesh has risen from the 21st to the 5th position nationally in education rankings due to recent reforms and infrastructural improvements. He announced that seven Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding Schools, including one in Bagdhar, will be established in the Bhattiyat constituency as part of the state’s cluster-based school model.

The Speaker also detailed about the plan to open a Skill University in Bhattiyat to equip local youth with vocational and technical skills, enabling them to access employment opportunities in the private sector and become self-reliant. He urged students to pledge against drug use and encourage others to do the same, noting that the state government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards drug abuse.

On this occasion, the Speaker also announced a personal contribution of Rs 31,000 to the local school for promoting cultural activities.

Earlier, Prashant Kaul, founder of the Modern Navdurga Education Trust, welcomed the Speaker and explained the objectives of the scholarship scheme. He said the trust aims to financially assist bright yet underprivileged girls in government schools so that economic hardship does not hinder their education. He also shared future plans to provide coaching for competitive exams and computer education under the same initiative.

The event concluded with the felicitation of chief guests and other dignitaries by the acting principal of the host school.