Sunam/Longowal, August 11, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora on Tuesday launched an initiative to provide school bags to 19,886 students enrolled in 129 government schools across the Sunam constituency, with 5,710 girl students of Classes 6 to 12 receiving bags in the first phase.
The distribution programme was held at Shaheed S. Bhagwan Singh Government Smart School (Girls), Longowal. Arora’s wife, Sabina Arora, was also present.
The initiative is being undertaken through the Babu Bhagwan Das Arora Foundation. Arora said school bags would be distributed among the remaining students in the constituency in the coming days.
He said ensuring access to basic educational facilities for children from economically weaker and needy families was a collective responsibility. The initiative, he added, was intended not only to provide convenience to students but also to encourage them to pursue education with greater confidence.
During the programme, meritorious students from the constituency who performed well in national-level competitive examinations, including the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), were also honoured with certificates and medals.
Arora said 13 students from Sunam had qualified in NEET/JEE, including eight girls. Students securing first, second and third positions in their respective classes were also felicitated.
Highlighting the achievements of girls in education, Arora said daughters of Punjab were excelling across fields such as medical education, non-medical streams, defence and civil services. He said providing equal opportunities to girls was essential for society’s progress.
On a question regarding fee hikes by private schools, Arora said the Punjab Government had taken legal measures to protect parents from arbitrary increases. He said private schools could not increase fees by more than five per cent under the applicable rules and that action would be taken against violations. Steps would also be taken to ensure refunds of excess amounts collected, he added.
Arora said the state government was committed to preventing the commercialisation of education and reducing unnecessary financial pressure on parents.
He said education-sector reforms were being pursued continuously, with particular emphasis on improving the quality of education and providing necessary facilities to students in government schools.
“Our aim is to ensure that no child is deprived of education due to financial constraints. Encouraging students of government schools by providing them with quality education and necessary facilities, as well as recognising their achievements, is our priority,” Arora said.
He added that students from Punjab’s government schools were performing exceptionally well at the national level, describing their achievements as a matter of pride.
Arora said he would continue to support students irrespective of the stream or trade they chose and remain committed to creating opportunities for quality education and a brighter future.
Deputy Commissioner Poonamdeep Kaur, Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Ravjot Grewal, District Education Officer Tarwinder Kaur, officials from various departments, prominent citizens, students, parents and local residents attended the programme.
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