Smart classrooms, bright futures: Sataun welcomes flagship school project
Industries, Parliamentary Affairs and Labour & Employment Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan on Wednesday performed the bhoomi poojan (groundbreaking ceremony) for the Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding School at Sataun in the Shillai Assembly constituency. The school will be constructed in the first phase at a cost of Rs 5.85 crore.
Extending his congratulations to the residents, Chauhan said the Rajiv Gandhi Day-Boarding School initiative is a flagship educational programme of the Himachal Pradesh Government. The initiative aims to provide modern facilities and high-quality education in government schools across the state.
The minister emphasised that under the leadership of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the state government envisions establishing one such school in every Assembly constituency. Currently, work is underway at 18 to 20 locations, with processes ongoing at several others.
Chauhan described the initiative as a visionary step in education, aimed at equipping government schools with state-of-the-art infrastructure and ensuring quality education. The schools will feature smart classrooms, sports fields, indoor stadiums, racing tracks, swimming pools and dedicated spaces for cultural activities, he added.
Highlighting the government’s commitment to holistic development in Shillai constituency, Chauhan said projects worth over Rs 250 crore have been sanctioned for sectors, including roads, education, healthcare, drinking water and electricity. He asserted that all development work is being ensured with appropriate budgetary provisions.
Criticising the policies of the previous government, the minister claimed that the quality of education deteriorated due to unplanned expansion of educational institutions without financial backing. Teachers were reallocated from existing schools to the new ones, resulting in a shortage of staff and facilities in both.
To address this, the current government has taken several corrective measures, including the recruitment of around 6,500 teachers, especially in remote areas. In Shillai constituency alone, around 300 vacant teaching positions have been filled during his tenure, Chauhan said.
He asserted that the educational reforms initiated by the present government are now yielding results. Citing the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2025, Chauhan noted that Himachal has made significant strides, with the best reading proficiency among students in the country. The state has been rated among the top performers in school education across multiple indicators in the survey.
On the occasion, the minister also distributed 100 induction cooktops to local women. He also announced Rs 10 lakh for the Sataun Community Hall, Rs 4 lakh for a library in Sataun and funds for the repair of irrigation kuhls.
Himachal Tribune