By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 9 Dec: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off a team of 157 toppers of the High School Examination 2024 for the Bharat Darshan educational tour at a function hosted at the Directorate of Education, here, today. Addressing the gathering, Dhami emphasised that the meritorious students should also introduce the people of the country to the specialties of Uttarakhand during their tour.
It may be recalled that, in line with the CM’s announcement, the Education Department has initiated an educational tour programme for High School and Intermediate level meritorious students.
Addressing the students, Dhami asserted that Uttarakhand is taking decisions that are setting best practices for the entire country. He mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised these decisions in his address on 9 November.
The first group of students is set to visit historical sites in Himachal, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, and Delhi. Dhami said this tour would add a new chapter to the education system of Uttarakhand and encouraged students to present themselves as brand ambassadors of the state, disseminating information about its holy rivers, temples, weather, and tourist places.
He also mentioned the state’s winter Char Dham Yatra, during which people can visit the winter abodes of the Char Dham Deities after the closure of the portals of Char Dham shrines. The educational tour is expected to give new dimensions to the students’ thinking and personality development.
Dhami wished the students the best for Indian Language Week, stating that India exemplifies unity in diversity and that preserving regional dialects is essential. He announced the second phase of Vidya Review Centre and the construction of drains to address waterlogging at the Directorate.
Education Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat observed that this is the first time any state government is starting such an educational tour programme for block-level toppers. The meritorious students would be able to meet representatives from IIT, NIT, IIM, as well as the Governors and Chief Ministers during the tour. Rawat asserted that Uttarakhand ranks among the top 10 states in preparing Apaar ID, with 45 percent of students being provided these. He added that, from the next academic session, the government would also provide copies to all students along the lines of free textbooks.
The event was attended by local MLA Umesh Sharma ‘Kau’, Rajpur MLA Khajan Das, Cantt MLA Savita Kapoor, Education Secretary Ravinath Raman, Director General Jharna Kamthan and other officials.
