Rajasthan Govt took several key decisions to take state to new heights in higher education: CM

Jaipur: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Wednesday that Rajasthan is progressing steadily in the field of education and his government has taken several important decisions to take the state to new heights in higher education. Gehlot was addressing the inauguration ceremony of newly constructed college buildings through video conference from the Chief Minister's residence on Wednesday.

While taking important decisions to promote girl child education, the state government in the budget had announced to upgrade the government girls higher secondary schools to girls college in which more than 500 girls are studying in class 12, he said. With this, girls will get college facility near their home and their enrolment in higher education will increase, the chief minister said.

Gehlot said that earlier Rajasthan was far behind in the field of education, especially women's education. "Today, excellent work is being done in the field of education here. Medical colleges have been approved in 30 districts of the state and courses have been started in many of these medical colleges," he said.

The chief minister inaugurated 11 newly constructed college buildings at a cost of about Rs 45 crore and laid the foundation stone for two college buildings which will be built at a cost of Rs 12.67 crore. He said the government has announced to open 123 new colleges in the state. English medium government schools would be opened in towns or villages having a population of more than 5,000, Gehlot added.

Minister of State for Higher Education Bhanwar Singh Bhati said that till the year 2018, there were 230 colleges in the state. After the Congress government came into power, 123 new colleges have been opened, Bhati claimed. He said efforts are being made to start studies in 35 colleges from this academic session.

He said 17 undergraduate level colleges have been upgraded to post-graduate level. Twenty-seven new faculties have been opened in 20 colleges, 25 new subjects in 14 undergraduate level colleges and 33 new subjects in 25 PG level colleges, the minister said.