Panchkula (Haryana) [India], July 12 (ANI): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Saturday that students are the future of the nation and should play an active role in fulfilling the Prime Minister's vision of building a developed India by staying away from drugs.

He felicitated over 275 students at the Medhavi Chhatra Samman Samaroah in Panchkula. The students had excelled in various streams at the state and district levels and encouraged them to continue striving for excellence.

'The Haryana Government is continuously working to bring structural reforms in the field of education. In the past ten and a half years, significant progress has been made not only in school education but also in higher education,' CM Saini said according to an official statement.

He said that under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Haryana's double-engine government has been working towards establishing medical colleges in every district to ensure better healthcare facilities and address the shortage of doctors in the state.

'Medical colleges have already been established in 15 districts, and work is underway in the remaining districts. With the aim of promoting higher education among girls, the Haryana Government has set up degree colleges within a 20-kilometre radius across the state so that girls do not have to travel far for their studies,' he added.

Giving special encouragement to Scheduled Caste students, he said that the Haryana Government has decided to give special recognition to meritorious students. He said that students belonging to Scheduled Castes who score more than 90 per cent marks in Class 12 will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 1,11,000.

Describing children as the future of the nation, he said that it is essential to ensure their holistic development through both education and values, as only then will they be equipped to face life's challenges with courage.

He said that the state is making concrete efforts in the area of early childhood education as well. There are 4,081 Anganwadis operating within school premises across the state, reflecting a strong commitment to foundational learning.

Saini said that over the past ten and a half years, numerous steps have been taken to bring about change and progress in the field of education. Several welfare schemes have been launched for students, with a strong focus on enhancing infrastructural facilities in schools. Ensuring quality education remains one of our top priorities. To achieve this, schools are adopting innovative methods such as playful teaching, project-based learning, continuous evaluation, and the integration of new technologies.

MLA Shakti Rani Sharma, Panchkula Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal, Chairman Haryana School Education Board Dr. Pawan Sharma, former Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, BJP District President Ajay Mittal, along with various dignitaries, parents, and teachers of meritorious students were also present on this occasion. (ANI)