Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday said the Himachal Pradesh Government was providing loans of up to Rs 20 lakh at an interest rate of just 1 per cent under the Dr YS Parmar Vidyarthi Rhin Yojna to support students pursuing higher education and professional courses.
Addressing 21 students from scheduled tribal areas who are beneficiaries of the post-matric scholarship scheme, the Chief Minister encouraged them to make full use of the government’s educational initiatives and work towards achieving their goals in life. The students met the Chief Minister here and shared their academic experiences with him.
Sukhu said the state government had undertaken major reforms in the education sector to ensure quality education was available closer to students’ homes. He said over 156 government schools had been brought under the CBSE pattern, with arts, science and commerce streams introduced for students.
Highlighting improvements in the education sector, the CM said Himachal had climbed from 13th to sixth position in a recent nationwide survey assessing quality education. He credited this achievement to the “pragmatic efforts” of the state government.
The CM also said the state government had increased the marriageable age of girls from 18 to 21 years, bringing it at par with boys. He added that the Scheduled Tribes Garmia Utsav was being celebrated across the state from May 10 to June 9.
