Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday that the state government was giving priority to enhancing facilities over opening new educational institutions in the state.

He said this while presiding over the Annual Prize Distribution Ceremony for 2023-24 of the Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidyalaya (RKMV). On the occasion, he honoured the students who excelled in various fields.

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Sukhu said the goal of his government was not merely to open new schools and colleges but to ensure that they were equipped with qualified teachers and all the essential facilities.

Earlier, he inaugurated the newly-constructed Block-C building of constructed at a cost of Rs 9 Crore.

On the occasion, the chief minister made several significant announcements for the college, including the conversion of all classrooms into smart classrooms, the construction of a new hostel with full funding, and a provision of Rs. 50 lakh for building a digital library and repairing the science block. The state government had provided a contribution of Rs 6 crore for the construction of Block-C, he added.

He also emphasized the need for reforms in the education sector to improve the quality of education in the state and collective efforts were also required to make it possible.

He expressed concern that Himachal Pradesh ranks 21st in the country in terms of education quality. In response to this, he affirmed that the government would prohibit teacher transfers during the academic session and develop policies to address future challenges.

Sukhu said that the government was establishing Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding Schools in a phased manner across all assembly constituencies to enhance the quality of education in rural areas.

“The state government was committed to the welfare and betterment of women of the state and has taken several steps for their empowerment. The government increased the marriageable age for girls from 18 to 21 years and has also amended the 51-year-old Himachal Pradesh Land Holding Ceiling Act, which allows adult daughters to claim a separate 150-bigha unit of ancestral property,” he said.

Furthermore, the state government has introduced 30 percent reservation for women in police recruitment, he added.

He recalled the days when students from Sanjauli Degree College and RKMV frequently appeared on merit lists and expressed pride in seeing his former peers now in teaching and administrative positions.

He lauded RKMV College for its rich history and said that this college has played a crucial role in producing distinguished alumni, such as Vijaya Thakur, Himachal’s first Indian Foreign Service officer, and IPS officer Tilotama Verma.

Apart from this, the chief minister outlined several initiatives of the state government aimed at supporting vulnerable groups.