Chandigarh an education hub for north Indian states: Rajnath Singh

Defence minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for the extension of Kurukshetra Boys Hostel at Punjab Engineering College (PEC)

Defence minister Rajnath Singh was in city on Monday to inaugurate a gaushala at Raipur Kalan.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh during the inauguration of Raipur Kalan Gaushala in Chandigarh on Monday. (Ravi Kumar/HT)

Addressing a gathere here, the minister said, “Chandigarh is an education hub for the northern states of India and through the various schools, colleges and universities, the city is providing quality education to the youth. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government is dedicated in providing various education-related facilities to the youth which includes establishment of new universities in the country, the construction of colleges, the construction of schools, the increase in military schools or enhancing the facilities at the educational institutes.

On the occasion, the defence minister also laid the foundation stone for the extension of Kurukshetra Boys Hostel at Punjab Engineering College (PEC). The block will increase the existing available hostel facilities from 250 rooms to 622 rooms to meet the requirement of residential students at PEC. Similarly, the foundation stone was also laid for the Hostel Block in the Government College, Sector-46, that will accommodate 138 boys and 138 girls after its completion.

While showing commitment towards enhancing the educational facilities, Singh added, “Through the National Education Policy 2020, the government is focusing on providing holistic education to the youth of the country so that they can make significant contributions to the economic development of the nation.”

The minister also inaugurated the state-of-art project “Centre for Cyber Operation and Security (CenCOPs)” which uses modern IT tools and technology to fight against cybercrime. The project consists of four fundamental pillars—data analytics and predictive policing, evidence collection and advanced forensics, cyber Security and cyber crime investigation, and social media analytics and citizen outreach.

The centre will serve as a major deterrent to criminals by assisting the police force in tracking them, solving crimes quickly and more efficiently.

While emphasising on the growing need to ensure cyber security, Rajnath further added, “Chandigarh is making continuous efforts to strengthen the security system along with education. With development in science and technology, the scope of safety hazards increases proportionately. With the support and approval of the ministry of home affairs, the CenCOPs will focus on combating cyber threats. It is responsible for the security of vital national infrastructure, protecting sensitive information and responding to cyber attacks.”