Shimla, July 28
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the newly established CBSE Schools would emerge as the best educational institutions in the state in the next five years. While presiding over the foundation day function of Bishop Cotton School here today, the Chief Minister said that the state government was committed to provide equal opportunities for every child. As part of this vision, English-medium education has been started from Class I in government schools and 156 government schools have been affiliated with the CBSE, yielding encouraging results and leading to an increase in enrolment of more than 24000 students.
Sukhu said that Himachal Pradesh is best suited for education as the state is student’s friendly and education friendly. He said that Bishop Cotton School is not merely an educational institution but a living tradition of excellence, leadership, discipline and character-building. It has nurtured generations of young minds and has remained a beacon of quality education, he added.
Recalling his personal association with the institution, he said that during his college days’ he came to BCS on numerous occasions to participate in cricket tournaments, therefore, shares a special bond with this school. He further said that when one speaks of Shimla’s most distinguished institutions, Bishop Cotton School commands a place of honour. Its alumni have excelled across diverse fields in India and abroad, bringing laurels to the institution and making meaningful contributions to society, he added.
Extending his congratulations, the Chief Minister said that today is not only a celebration of your school’s foundation, but an occasion to reflect upon the enduring values on which this great institution was built. Times change, technology evolves and the world transforms rapidly, but values such as integrity, discipline, perseverance and service remain timeless. These are the qualities that shape extraordinary individuals, he added.
Sukhu asked them not merely to aspire for success, but to strive to become individuals who make a meaningful difference. He said that they should become responsible citizens by contributing to the community, state and the Nation as whole which is the ultimate goal of all of us.
The Chief Minister said that education was the strongest foundation of any progressive society and recognizing this, the present state government has accorded the highest priority to the education sector. He said that quality education was not a privilege for a few but the fundamental right of every child. He said that it is a matter of pride that Himachal Pradesh has achieved the historic milestone of becoming a fully literate state with a literacy rate of 99.30 per cent. This is not merely a statistic but a reflection of our collective commitment to education, he added.
Sukhu said that providing quality education to students is the priority of the present state government and had brought various radical reforms in the sector to improve the education standards. He said that according to the ASER Report, children in the state have demonstrated the highest reading proficiency in the country. In the PARAKH assessments, Himachal Pradesh has significantly improved its national ranking, moving from the 21st position in 2021 to among the top-performing states. Likewise, in the Ministry of Education’s Performance Grading Index, the state has climbed seven positions to secure the sixth place nationally. These achievements reaffirm our commitment not only to expanding access to education but also to ensuring excellence in learning outcomes.
Earlier, the Chief Minister laid a wreath on the memorial of the founder of the school, Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton and also hoisted the school flag.
CM also flagged off Mountaineering Expedition-2026 of the School students in Leh and Ladakh from 28th July to 8th August to Mt.Yalung Nong 6090M. Amod Talwalkar, Laldinzuala, Altamash Nomani, Tenzin Tsewang, Manraj Singh Grover and Aman Agarwal, students of the School are the part of the expedition. MLA Harish Janartha, OSD to the Chief Minister Saurav Chauhan, Board Member of the School Manav Singh, Headmaster of School Mathew P. John, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.