Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed officials to remove the caste column from school admission forms starting from the next academic session. Speaking at a meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Scheduled Caste Welfare Board, HPSCWB, he said the government wants to stop the caste discrimination and treat every student equally. By removing this column from the admission form, the government wants to make sure that students do not feel inferior or face any kind of bias in classrooms or schools. However, students from Scheduled Castes will still give their details when applying for government welfare schemes, to make sure they get their benefits without facing any problems.
Aim to Stop Caste Bias in Schools
The Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu highlighted that the schools must be a place of equality for every student. The major highlights for this decision was to include:
- Promoting Unity: Helping students learn and grow together without any kind of social barriers.
- Removing Inferiority: to make sure that young children do not feel low or different based on their background, caste or community.
- Protected Welfare: Keeping caste details restricted only to official government schemes so the benefits reach to the eligible students directly.
Major Welfare Initiatives Announced
With the school decision, CM Sukhu shared details of several state welfare programs planned for supporting needy families, students, and local businesses:
|
Scheme Name |
Key Benefit |
Target Group |
|
Rajiv Gandhi Start-up Swarozgar Saur Yojana |
4% to 5% solar project subsidy |
Local entrepreneurs |
|
Higher Education Loan Scheme |
Up to ₹20 lakh loan at 1% interest rate |
Meritorious students |
|
Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana |
300 units free power & ₹1,500 monthly pension |
Extremely poor families |
The chief minister said the government is also providing loans of up to Rs 20 lakh to meritorious students for higher education at an interest rate of one per cent, so that students are not forced to discontinue their studies due to any financial conditions. He said the government is going to implement the 'Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana' for extremely poor families. Under the scheme, eligible families would be provided 300 units of free electricity, while women from these families would receive a monthly pension of Rs 1,500.
