Patiala: In a bid to provide quality educational facilities in far-off areas, the Punjab Government has decided to open 11 new degree colleges in the state, particularly in educationally backward areas.

While disclosing the government's plan, state education minister Dr. Upinderjit Kaur said, "33 percent of the cost for the setting up these colleges would be borne by the Centre, while the rest of the expenditure would be taken care of by the Punjab government."

The education minister said that a multi-faculty postgraduate college is being set up at Sardulgarh which would also provide higher educational facilities to students in rural areas. The work on this project has already been started, she added.

Referring to vocational education, the Minster said, "Our government has decided to set up premier management and health management institutes for imparting vocational and professional education to the youth."

The Indian Institute of Science Education and Research at Mohali has already become functional with admissions under process. The process of identifying a suitable place had been initiated for the central university to be set up in Punjab, she added.

The Punjab government is also concerned with the fact that a large number of posts of teachers are lying vacant in government schools and for this purpose the government would be very soon recruiting 14,000 teachers for filling up the vacant posts.

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