Chandigarh, August 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab’s technical education leadership received a major capacity-building boost with 34 principals, heads of department and senior officials completing a five-day residential Institutional Leadership and Performance Excellence Programme at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.
Held from August 3 to 7 under the Punjab Government’s Punjab Sikhya Kranti initiative, the programme brought together leaders from Government Polytechnic Colleges and Government ITIs, along with senior officials of the Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training (DTEIT).
The initiative is part of the state’s broader education reform agenda aimed at developing world-class learning environments across schools, polytechnics and ITIs. The reforms include semester-long internships for diploma students to strengthen industry exposure, a minimum of 40 hours of annual faculty training in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and the development of Centres of Excellence and upgraded machinery in polytechnic institutions. Six government polytechnics have already been modernised, with further institutes to be covered in phases.
The IIM Ahmedabad programme comprised 20 intensive sessions covering institutional governance, data-based decision-making, performance management, industry partnerships, student employability, workplace readiness, change management and team building. Participants were trained through case studies, simulations, group projects, institutional examples and practical exercises.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said exposure to reputed institutions such as IIM Ahmedabad would equip education leaders with new ideas and practices to strengthen government technical institutions.
“When principals and senior officials learn from globally recognised institutions such as IIM Ahmedabad, they return with new ideas, innovative practices and renewed motivation,” Mann said, adding that the objective was to ensure students received training aligned with international standards.
Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said empowered principals were central to building an effective technical education system. He said the programme would strengthen the leadership capabilities needed to bring improvements to classrooms, workshops and training laboratories.
Raksha Kiran, Principal of Government Polytechnic College, Khunimajra, described the programme as a “turning point”, particularly for strengthening faculty motivation and industry partnerships for internships and placements.
Kuldeep Singh, Principal of Government ITI, Bassi Pathana, said the exposure to data-led planning and real-world problem-solving would help institutions become more accountable and student-centric.
The leadership programme is part of a wider faculty and institutional development programme for 2026-27 involving institutions including IIT Ropar, IIM Amritsar, IISER and NIFT, besides industry exposure initiatives with organisations such as Tata Steel.
The state said the initiatives are aimed at strengthening leadership across Punjab’s 26 Government Polytechnic Colleges and 137 Government ITIs and aligning technical education more closely with evolving industry requirements.
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