Chandigarh, April 19
In a major relief for students, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that more than 3 lakh Scheduled Caste (SC) students in Punjab will no longer face financial hurdles in pursuing higher education. Addressing the gathering, Cheema stated that the previous government had failed to disburse Post Matric Scholarship funds from 2017 to 2020, leaving thousands of students unable to complete their education and pushing several colleges into financial distress.
Cheema highlighted that the present government, led by Bhagwant Mann, has sanctioned approximately Rs 432 crore in pending liabilities—around 40 per cent of the total amount—along with fulfilling current financial commitments. He also appreciated the efforts of Dr. Anshu Kataria for bringing technical higher education institutions of Punjab onto the PUCA platform.
The theme of the event was “From Campus to Corporate: Creating Global Financial Leaders,” organized at PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Chandigarh. Dr. Kamal Chabra and Dr. Manpreet Singh Manna, along with Nirmaljit Singh Kalsi (IAS Retd.) were special guest.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Anshu Kataria expressed gratitude to the Finance Minister and emphasized that Punjab is not only leading in school education but is also progressing towards becoming a top destination for technical education in India. He highlighted PUCA’s outreach initiatives across states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam and Jammu & Kashmir, as well as countries including Nepal and regions in Africa, aimed at promoting Punjab as an education hub.
Dr. Kataria further informed that PUCA is working towards bringing around 8,000 technical institutions onto a single platform to benefit lakhs of students aspiring for higher education. During the vote of thanks, Manjit Singh lauded Dr. Kataria’s leadership. He credited him with bringing around 150–200 colleges and universities in Punjab onto a single platform, noting that no Chancellor or Chairman misses an invitation from him. He added that Punjab has emerged as a strong force in the field of education across the nation under his leadership.
