Punjab CM offers free education for Class XI, XII students at MRS Armed Forces Institute

In a bid to facilitate economically backward students to join the Armed Forces, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said that the state would bear the cost of education for the students of Class XI and XII at Maharaja Ranjit Singh (MRS) Armed Forces Preparatory Institute in Mohali.

"The institute has tied up with a reputed private school in Mohali for the education of students who clear its entrance examination. Forty such students are currently selected for their senior secondary school education by the Institute, but they are required to pay their own school fee of Rs 45,000 a year," an official statement said.

To meet the additional expenses, the Chief Minister also asked the Finance Department to examine its proposal for additional funds of Rs 9.5 crore, in addition to the Rs 8.5 crore, for making up the required corpus of Rs 18 crore, said the statement.

In another move aimed at motivating youngsters to join the Armed Forces, the Chief Minister also directed the Director-General to formulate a proposal to set up a Cadet Training Wings in select government schools.

The Chief Minister asked the Finance Department to sanction requisite funds to establish the Cadet Training Wings at the selected private schools in Patiala, Mohali, Sangrur, Beas and Nabha to impart training to the students for joining NDA, it said.

Thereafter, Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi suggested expanding the programme, wherein the Institute will send trainers to the selected schools, also of government schools.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister directed the Institute's Director-General to explore, with the CEO Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA), the possibility of installation of 50 KW rooftop solar power generation unit at a cost of Rs 26 lakh.

"Incidentally, the-state-of-the art Institute was started in 2011 with an intake capacity of 40 students. As many as 134 cadets have been sent to various service academies so far from the first seven batches. The Institute has been credited with securing All India Rank 1 in NDA merit list on two occasions, besides once Rank 1 in the merit list of Officers Training Academy (OTA), Chennai," the statement added.