Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal requests Union Minister C R Patil to grant funds to address flood damage and security concerns along the river Ravi in Ajnala

Chandigarh 2 July 2025:NRI Affairs Minister S. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal today met C R Patil, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, on a matter of significant concern regarding the River Ravi, which flows through the Ajnala district of Amritsar, Punjab, and forms an international border with Pakistan. He earnestly requested him to grant necessary funds to the Government of Punjab. These funds are crucial for implementing the required projects to safeguard our land, protect our security infrastructure, and curb the heightened risk of Illicit activities along this sensitive border.

During periods of heavy flooding, the areas along the Ravi in Ajnala experience substantial damage. This includes not only the loss of valuable cultivable land for our farmers but also severe damage to critical Army and BSF outposts. This damage directly impacts our national security and the operational capabilities of our border guarding forces. Furthermore, the disruption caused by floods in these border areas unfortunately enhances the chances of drug trafficking, posing a serious threat to our state and nation, said Dhaliwal.

Dhaliwal further informed the Union Minister that to effectively control and mitigate these pressing issues, it is imperative that we undertake significant strengthening and protection measures along this stretch of the river. This will involve robust flood control infrastructure and reinforcement of the border security installations.

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PUNJAB SHINES IN NAS 2024: TOPS NATIONWIDE ASSESSMENT

•CM Mann-led Punjab Govt's quality education initiatives pay off, says Harjot Singh Bains

Chandigarh, July 2:In yet another testament to the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government’s commitment to providing quality education, Punjab has emerged as the top performer in the National Achievement Survey (NAS) 2024, announced S. Harjot Singh Bains, Minister of School Education, Punjab.

The NAS is India's most credible and reputed survey to evaluate educational achievements of students. It selects students from Class-3rd, 6th and 9th as samples to evaluate overall education outcomes.

Expressing delight over Punjab's impressive rankings in the NAS (PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan), S. Harjot Singh Bains shared that Punjab stood first with 80 marks in 3rd-grade ranking, hugely surpassing Himachal Pradesh (74) and Kerala (73).

For the 6th grade, Punjab and Kerala are joint top performers with 67 marks each. In the 9th-grade ranking, Punjab outperformed other states & UTs with 57 marks to grab top spot, he added.

Notably, the nationwide survey, conducted by the NCERT in collaboration with States and UTs to assess learning outcomes and identified areas for improvement, with thousands of students participated from across the country.

"Punjab's stellar performance in the NAS underscores the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government's dedication to ensuring quality education and improving student learning outcomes", said S. Bains while adding that the Punjab Government will build on this success, continuing to enhance the standards of education system to provide students with the best education.

Highlighting the remarkable accomplishments of the school education department, the Education Minister S. Bains informed that an impressive 845 government school students qualified the highly competitive National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), while 265 students successfully cleared the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains this year, which showcasing the department's commitment to fostering academic excellence and empowering students to excel in the country's most challenging competitive exams. Punjab govt has made education its topmost priority.

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Mohinder Bhagat Reviews Horticulture Progress, Stresses Farmer Awareness on Latest Technologies and Schemes

Chandigarh, July 2-The Punjab Government, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, is making continuous efforts to expand the horticulture sector and boost the state’s agricultural economy by promoting crop diversification and enhancing farmers’ income. To assess the progress of horticulture initiatives, Horticulture Minister Mr Mohinder Bhagat held a review meeting with senior officers of the department at the Punjab Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh, on Wednesday.

During the meeting, Director Horticulture Mrs Shailender Kaur apprised the Minister of the various ongoing schemes and initiatives being implemented to promote horticulture and uplift farmers’ livelihoods. She shared updates on projects aimed at improving crop productivity, introducing advanced technologies, and facilitating better market access for horticultural produce.

The minister directed the department to ensure that farmers are regularly informed about the latest technologies, government schemes, and best practices through training programs, awareness camps, and digital platforms. He emphasized that timely access to such information will empower farmers to take full advantage of government support.