Ahead of Guru Ravidas Jayanti on February 1, the Punjab government on Friday launched the distribution of scholarships to more than 2.7 lakh Scheduled Caste (SC) students in a state-level function held at the PAP Ground in Jalandhar. Addressing the gathering, chief minister Bhagwant Mann said the ₹271-crore Post-Matric Scholarship under the “Mission Rangla Punjab” drive reflected a fundamental shift in governance priorities, asserting that while the Congress, the Akalis and the BJP remained preoccupied with family interests, the AAP had focused squarely on securing the future of Punjab’s children.
Highlighting a 35% rise in beneficiaries since 2020-21, the chief minister said the surge was the result of AAP government’s genuine education reforms, not tokenism, and stressed that scholarships were not mere financial aid but a tool of self-reliance, correcting years of systemic neglect in which delayed and diverted funds had even prevented students from appearing in examinations.
He added that the budget had been enhanced from ₹245 crore to ₹271 crore, underlining that it was the Punjab government’s duty to ensure the well-being of every section of society. “For the first time, bio-authentication has been made mandatory for students, heads of institutions and nodal officers to prevent fraud,” he said.
Mann alleged that the whole scheme turned from “scheme” to “scam” during the Congress regime and the AAP government had managed to restore the scheme for the sake of the future of thousands of SC students in these years.
“From 2017 to 2020, the scheme remained virtually stalled, leading educational institutions to withhold degrees from students. A scam took place under this scheme and every Punjabi was anguished by it. The then minister in charge of the department betrayed their own community by illegally minting money meant for the education of children from weaker sections,” he alleged, adding that funds meant for SC students were usurped, depriving them of their rightful opportunities.
{{/usCountry}}“From 2017 to 2020, the scheme remained virtually stalled, leading educational institutions to withhold degrees from students. A scam took place under this scheme and every Punjabi was anguished by it. The then minister in charge of the department betrayed their own community by illegally minting money meant for the education of children from weaker sections,” he alleged, adding that funds meant for SC students were usurped, depriving them of their rightful opportunities.
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister said a new accountability system had been introduced on the Dr Ambedkar Scholarship Portal. “The Post-Matric Scholarship is not just financial assistance. It is a pathway to self-reliance. We are firmly committed to ensuring that no talented child’s dream remains unfulfilled due to lack of money,” he reiterated.
Taking a dig at traditional political parties, the CM said, “They are unable to digest the fact that the son of a common man is governing Punjab effectively. People have lost faith in these parties because of their anti-people and anti-Punjab approach. They were more concerned about their own families than Punjab and Punjabis, which is why they have been shown the door.”
CM distributes 916 job letters under ‘Mission Rozgar’
Later in Mohali, the chief minister also distributed appointment letters to 916 newly recruited persons in various departments under the state government’s flagship programme “Mission Rozgar”.
Addressing a gathering at Vikas Bhawan, Mann said so far, 63,943 youths had been provided government jobs on the basis of merit alone, without bribery or favouritism, and the process of issuing appointment letters would continue in the coming days.
He said for decades, opportunities meant for deserving youth were cornered by relatives and close associates of those in power, leaving merit sidelined. “This government has opened the doors of government jobs for the youth in a transparent manner,” he said.
Calling the occasion a landmark moment for the newly recruited candidates, Mann said that crossing the figure of more than 63,000 government jobs in four years was a major achievement. He added that none of these appointments had been challenged in court, which, he said, reflected the fairness and credibility of the recruitment process.
He further said unemployment was at the root of several social challenges and the government was focused on addressing it through large-scale, transparent recruitment. He urged the newly appointed youth to discharge their duties with professionalism and integrity, and to serve the people with commitment.
Cabinet Ministers Dr Balbir Singh and Gurmeet Singh Khudian, along with senior officials, were present on the occasion.