Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh while presiding over the concluding ceremony of HP University Inter College Youth Festival at Govind Ballabh Pant Memorial College at Rampur Bushahr today, declared the GB Pant College, Rampur as Post Graduate Government Degree College. He said that the GB Pant College Rampur started functioning with 19 students and as of today more than 4500 students were studying in the college.“Youth festival is a platform for the students where they can exhibit their talents and can give expression to their creativity. Students work for one objective where they get a chance to interact with each other," he said. He exhorted the students for preserving the age old traditions, language, culture and customs and also appealed to respect their teachers.Students from 38 colleges of the State showcased their talent in the cultural bonanza. The festival aims at encouraging the creative expression, to boost the rich traditional folk and develop skills among students. Several competitions were held during the four days long festival. The four days festival began on 17th September and concluded on Tuesday.
He said the focus of the State Government was to take educational institutions, especially higher educational institutions to rural areas to facilitate the children there, particularly the girl child. He said that it was for the first time that the girl child got an opportunity to acquire higher education at their door-steps in rural areas of the State as many colleges had been opened in far flung areas. “We understand the importance of education of girl child which will certainly help in Nation building”, he said.Chief Minister said that the Government has opened or upgraded over 1010 schools in the State during last 45 months taking the total strength of schools to 15500. 24 ITI's, two Engineering Colleges and 41 colleges have been opened in the State during the present tenure of the Government. Besides, Indian Institute of Technology was functioning at Kamaand in Mandi, Indian Institute of Management was coming up in Sirmaur, AIIMS at Bilaspur and three medical colleges at Hamirpur, Chamba and the one at Nahan which has started functioning, he said.
He said that as of today 114 colleges were functioning in the State and out of which 95 percent colleges were opened during his regime and the successive Congress Governments. Various competitions were organized in the festival. Saint Bedes College won the first prize for Indian Classical dance, whereas 2nd prize was won by RKMV college of Shimla. Government College, Anni Kullu won the 1st prize for Himachali folk dance, 2nd prize by Sanskrit College, Kyartoo, Theog and Government College Dhaliara and 3rd prize was won by Government College, Seema, Rohru and Rampur.The Chief Minister also distributed prizes to the winners of the competition and launched Wi-Fi facility for the college.Two minutes silence was also observed as a mark of respect to the martyrs of Uri attack. A colourful cultural performance by the students enthralled the audience on the occasion.President, State Youth Congress, Shri Vikramaditya Singh while speaking on the occasion congratulated the winners of the festival. He also supported the demand of upgrading the status of the College to Post Graduate Degree College to ease the flow of grant-in-Aid by University Grants Commission. He also urged for expansion of the infrastructural facilities in the college. He lauded the efforts of the Government of opening degree colleges in remote areas of the State. He said that Kaushal Vikas Nigam had been constituted in the State to provide direct and indirect employment to the youth of the State. An MoU has been signed with all technical institutions of the State to enhance the skills of the youth.He also criticised the outrageous attack on the Indian army and paid tributes to the martyrs.Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Shri Nand Lal also spoke on the occasion and supported the demand of declaring the GB Pant College Rampur as Government Posts Graduate Degree College and additional sports hostel and multipurpose hall/ common room for girl students, etc.
Earlier, Principal, GB Pant Memorial College, Shri S.B.Negi welcomed the Chief Minister and other distinguished guests present on the occasion.President, Parents Teachers Association Shri Rajesh Gupta also spoke on the occasion and welcomed the Chief Minister.While speaking on the sidelines of the function with the media, the Chief Minister said that Uri attack was unfortunate in which 20 Jawans were martyred and such subversive acts needed to be curbed at all cost. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the martyrs and pray for early recovery of the injured, he said. However, during the UPA regime, cross-border shelling, and attacks on security forces never happened to such a large extent. “It is attack on the consciousness of India”, he said adding that he salutes the eternal spirit of the martyrs and their kith and kin”.DCC President Shimla Rural, Shri K.S. Khachi, BCC, President, Shri Satish Verma, Secretary, PCC, Smt. Chanderprabha Negi, Chairman, Kailash Federation, Shri Brij Lal, Vice-Chairman, HPSIDC, Shri Atul Sharma, President MC Rampur, Ms. Meena Kumari, Vice-President MC, Rampur, Shri Deepak Sood, Member Zila Parishad, Shri Vikesh Chauhan were present on the occasion amongst others.