Punjab to Open New Government Colleges with Focus on Border & Underserved Areas: Harjot Singh Bains

Chandigarh, July 12 — The Punjab Government is set to significantly expand its higher education infrastructure, especially in border areas and underserved regions, announced Higher Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains while introducing the Rayat Bahra Professional University Bill, 2025 and C.G.C. University Bill, 2025 in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Friday.

Massive Growth in Enrolments and Technical Education

Highlighting Punjab’s progress in the education sector, Bains revealed an 85% increase in enrolments in government colleges. Total student enrolment across all institutions—government, private, and aided—rose from 7 lakh in 2022 to 9 lakh in the last academic session. Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda, for instance, saw enrolment jump from 1,400 to 2,480.

He also noted that Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) saw an expansion of 35,000 seats in the past three years, achieving a 99% fill-up rate last year, with plans to add another 5,000–7,000 seats this year.

Transforming Punjab into a Global Education Hub

Minister Bains attributed the surge to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s vision of making Punjab a global hub for education. He proudly shared that over 54,000 government jobs have been provided to youth, curbing brain drain and restoring faith in public education.

Punjab is also becoming a top choice for international students, with learners from 70 countries currently enrolled in institutions across the state.

New-Age Courses and Industry-Academia Collaboration

The state has launched cutting-edge courses in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Banking, Digital Marketing, Hospitality, Tourism, and Event Management, ensuring students gain industry-relevant skills.

Efforts to bridge the gap between academia and industry are underway. Programs like Business Blaster provide students with seed funding and mentorship, promoting entrepreneurship and innovation—turning students from job seekers into job creators.

Boost for Faculty and Scholarships

Bains addressed concerns about faculty shortages, stating that 90% of professor posts were vacant three years ago, and many were paid just ₹20,000 per month. The government has now raised pay to ₹50,000, filled long-standing vacancies, and assured job security to guest faculty.

In addition, timely disbursement of Scheduled Caste scholarships is being ensured so that no student is left behind due to financial barriers.