Minister inaugurates new science lab building at Bhanog govt school

A newly-constructed science laboratory building at Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Bhanog, Rajgarh subdivision, has been inaugurated by Education Minister Rohit Thakur. Built at a cost of Rs 51 lakh, the new facility aims to strengthen science education infrastructure in the region.

Following the inauguration, the minister attended the school’s annual prize distribution function as the chief guest and felicitated meritorious students for their outstanding achievements in academics and extracurricular activities.

Addressing the gathering, Thakur said that the state government was undertaking comprehensive reforms in the education sector to ensure the holistic development of children. He highlighted that over 87,000 students had benefited from various scholarship schemes, while more than 5.34 lakh students across 15,181 schools were being provided nutritious meals under the mid-day meal programme. He added that smart uniforms were also being provided to students across government schools.

The minister stated that Himachal Pradesh had made remarkable progress in the field of education during the current government’s tenure and had now achieved the goal of becoming a fully literate state. “In 2021, Himachal Pradesh was ranked 21st in the country in education, but today it has moved ahead to be among the top five states,” he said.

To equip students for future challenges, Thakur informed that English-medium education had been introduced from the first grade in government schools. From the next academic session, 100 government senior secondary schools will be affiliated with the CBSE board. He also announced that the first Kendriya Vidyalaya had been sanctioned for Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district, which will further enhance access to quality education.

He further mentioned that the state government had increased the monthly honorarium of SMC teachers, IT/computer instructors, mid-day meal workers and part-time water carriers by Rs 500 each.