Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday reaffirmed his govt’s firm commitment to eradicating the drug menace, vowing that all offenders — regardless of political influence — will face strict action without mercy. He emphasised that combating drugs remains the govt’s top priority.Speaking at a felicitation event for govt school students who cleared the NEET exam, Mann said the state’s anti-drug campaign has evolved into a mass movement. He reiterated that all those involved in this “heinous crime” will be brought to justice.Meanwhile, Mann said there had been a paradigm shift in Punjab’s education sector over the past three years, citing revolutionary steps that significantly boosted student performance. He declared it a red-letter day as 509 govt school students successfully cleared the highly competitive NEET exam.He said Parent Teacher Meetings (PTMs), once exclusive to private institutions, are now a regular practice in govt schools. He emphasised that this adoption of best practices fosters better communication between parents and teachers, ultimately benefiting students. He reiterated that the state govt was fully committed to driving an education revolution in Punjab.Mann said his govt was actively cleaning up the mess accumulated over 70 years during the previous regimes. He said that many young individuals missed out on govt job opportunities due to the previous govt’s negligent policies. He said it is unfortunate that there is no bar on contesting polls by political leaders, but there is an age limit for getting govt jobs. ‘NO CENSUS DUTY FOR TEACHERS’Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said the state govt had rejected the Centre’s demand to involve state govt teachers in census duty. He added instead, the state govt proposed to get the exercise done by MA and MEd graduates. In 2023, Mann had mentioned receiving a letter from the Centre requesting the deputation of teachers for census duty. He had claimed that he had refused this request, stating that his govt would instead ask the central govt to enrol unemployed youth for such purposes.
