SHIMLA -24^th June, 2025

Education department mandates daily news reading in morning assembly

A Spokesperson of Education department today here said that, following the directives of Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the department has issued written instructions to all Deputy Directors to ensure the mandatory implementation of daily news reading during morning assemblies in government schools. This decision follows the Chief Minister’s recent surprise visit to the Government Senior Secondary School in Baga Sarahan, Kullu district. During his interaction with students, the Chief Minister expressed dissatisfaction over their general awareness level of the students and emphasized the importance of equipping students with practical knowledge alongside their academic curriculum. He stressed that such initiatives are crucial in preparing students for competitive examinations and real-world challenges.

He said that to this end, the department has issued detailed guidelines aimed at enhancing students general knowledge, critical thinking and communication skills. He said that all school heads have been instructed to ensure the regular availability of both English and Hindi newspapers in their institutions. He said that these resources are intended to help students improve reading comprehension, vocabulary and pronunciation, while encouraging public speaking and confident participation in assemblies.

The spokesperson further said that this initiative is a step towards fostering a habit of staying informed and developing a deeper engagement with current affairs, thereby promoting the all-round development of students. In an increasingly interconnected world, this step would ensure that our students are well aware of the current events, both nationally and globally.

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State Government to recruit 700 Home Guards

• Recruitment to take place after ten years
  
  
• SHIMLA -24^th June, 2025-For the first time after 2015, the State Government has initiated the process to recruit 700 Home Guards in the department of Home Guards and Civil Defence. A spokesman of the state government said that in the recent Cabinet meeting, the government has given its nod to fill up these posts. He said that for the last few years, no recruitment of Home Guards has taken place and the prolonged halt in recruitment has not only led to a significant manpower shortage but also hampered the department's ability to respond effectively to deployment requests. Therefore, the recruitment of new Home Guards volunteers was needed. He said that this step of the government will go a long way in providing gainful employment to the youth of the State.

The Spokesperson said that the total strength of Home Guards volunteers is 8000. Due to the shortage of Home Guards, the department was unable to meet the demand of their deployment being received from various departments, boards, corporations etc. He said that Home Guards play a vital role in assisting the police and civil administration in various duties. Their responsibilities include maintaining law and order, traffic control, election duties, crowd management during festivals and the large gatherings. They are often among the first to respond during natural disasters, accidents and forest fires and help in saving valuable lives and restoring order.

He said that the state government has allocated a budget of Rs. 24 crore for the remuneration and other related costs of the new Home Guard volunteers. He said that by bolstering the manpower in the department, the government aims to enhance its capabilities and ensure that it remains well equipped to meet the growing demands of civil protection and community safety across the State.