*Punjab Government Strengthens Educational Support for SC Students; ₹53.30 Crore Released and Proposed Under Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme: Dr. Baljit Kaur*

*94,092 Students Benefited in 2025-26; ₹40 Crore Proposed for 1.17 Lakh Students in 2026-27*

*CM Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Government Committed to Ensuring Every Child Has an Equal Opportunity to Learn and Succeed*

Chandigarh, September 14:Reaffirming the Punjab Government's unwavering commitment to making quality education accessible to every child, Social Justice, Empowerment and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur said that the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Government is continuously strengthening scholarship support to ensure that financial hardship does not prevent Scheduled Caste (SC) students from pursuing their education.

Sharing details, Social Justice, Empowerment and Miniorties Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur said that under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC Students, the Punjab Government has released ₹13.30 crore for 94,092 students during the financial year 2025-26. For the financial year 2026-27, the Government has proposed an allocation of ₹40 crore to benefit 1,17,142 students, ensuring sustained educational support at the school level.

The Cabinet Minister said that the scheme is enabling thousands of children from economically weaker Scheduled Caste families to continue their studies without financial stress. She emphasised that education is the strongest foundation for social empowerment and plays a transformative role in creating equal opportunities for every child.

Dr. Baljit Kaur said that the Punjab Government is pursuing result-oriented initiatives to uplift marginalised communities by investing in education and human development. She added that expanding educational opportunities for SC students is an important step towards building an inclusive, progressive and Rangla Punjab.

Highlighting the Government's roadmap, the Minister said the Department will continue to ensure timely implementation of the scholarship scheme, wider awareness among eligible families and seamless disbursement of benefits so that every deserving student receives assistance without delay. She reiterated that the Punjab Government remains steadfast in its commitment to empowering young minds and building a brighter future through education.

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State Information Commissioner Harpreet Sandhu Represents Punjab at the National Conference on RTI in Hyderabad

Chandigarh, 14th September:State Information Commissioner Punjab Harpreet Sandhu represented the Punjab State Information Commission at the National Conference of Information Commissions held at Hyderabad on the theme, “RTI: Operational Uniformity in Implementation – Challenges and Solutions”, a subject of vital importance to democratic governance, transparency and accountability in public administration.

State Information Commissioner, Punjab Harpreet Sandhu had the distinction of being a Speaker at the National Conference, where he delivered his keynote address on the given subject of Digital Personal Data Protection Act and its evolving interface with the Right to Information Act. SIC Punjab addressing an audience comprising of the Central Chief Information Commissioner of India, R. K. Goyal, IAS (Retd.), and Chief Information Commissioners and Information Commissioners from 25 States of India, highlighted the emerging challenges and the need to maintain an appropriate balance between the citizen’s fundamental right to information, protection of personal data and the larger public interest.

The National Conference brought together senior functionaries of Information Commissions from across the country, providing an important national platform for deliberation on strengthening the effective, uniform and citizen-centric implementation of the Right to Information Act. The deliberations witnessed participation from Information Commissions representing States including Assam, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Delhi, Punjab, Chennai, Kerala, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu and Chhattisgarh, among others.

The significance Harpreet Sandhu’s address on personal data protection and its interface with the RTI framework was acknowledged by the Central Chief Information Commissioner of India, Shri R. K. Goyal, IAS (Retd.), particularly in the context of promoting transparency, accountability and effective implementation of the RTI Act in the evolving digital governance environment.

SIC Punjab Harpreet Sandhu also represented Punjab at the 34th Meeting of the Board of Governors of the National Federation of Information Commissions in India (NFICI), held at the Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad. His participation marked an important representation of the Punjab State Information Commission at the national level and reflected the significance of Punjab’s contribution to deliberations concerning the strengthening and effective implementation of the Right to Information regime in India.

SIC Punjab Harpreet Sandhu presented the official souvenir on behalf of the Punjab State Information Commission to the Central Chief Information Commissioner of India, R. K. Goyal, IAS (Retd.), and the Chief Information Commissioner of Telangana, Dr. G. Chandrashekar Reddy, IFS (Retd.) in the presence of Hon’ble Governor of Telangana Shiv Pratap Shukla, who was the Chief guest during the National Conference in Hyderabad.

The participation of SIC Punjab Harpreet Sandhu at the National Conference and the NFICI Board of Governors meeting provided an important platform for sharing perspectives, experiences and institutional practices aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and the effective functioning of the Right to Information framework in the country.

Director General Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad Dr. N. Ramesh Kumar, IAS (Retd.) felicitated State Information Commissioner, Punjab Harpreet Sandhu on behalf of Telangana State Information Commission for his participation in the National Conference on RTI held in Hyderabad on 12th September 2026.

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*Vigilance Bureau nabs 8 persons red handed in 6 bribery cases during August*

Chandigarh, 14 September 2026:The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB), during its ongoing crusade against corruption in the state, has been able to apprehend seven government officials and one private person red handed while accepting bribes in 6 different trap cases during the month of August.

Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson of the state VB said the VB has put up its best efforts to eradicate corruption amongst public servants and others in every sphere during the period.

He informed that the Bureau had submitted challans pertaining to 13 vigilance cases in various competent courts in the last month. Besides, 3 Vigilance enquiries have also been registered to thorughly probe the corruption cases. He added that 10 criminal cases were also registered against 23 accused which include 17 government employees.

Giving more details, he added that different competent courts have decided four bribery cases filed and contested by the Bureau during the last month, in which eight persons were convicted and sentenced ranging from 4 to 5 years imprisonment and fine ranging from Rs. 8,000/- to Rs. 1,00,000/- .