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On the ISC Front
Introduction
The last three months involved us in visits to our field areas in Moga, Gurdaspur and Patiala Districts to address teachers and students on Education matters and employment opportunities. By September 2014 most of the applications for availing scholarships under various Central Govt. Schemes have all been sent. A total of over six lakh applications have been submitted from Punjab's Rural Areas alone. ISC has managed to increase the response by 25% percent over last year by dint of our increased involvement of dedicated field workers.
Sikh Awards 2014 - Award of Honour
An internationally renowned Sikh Organisation named "Social Educational Welfare Association (SEWA Regd.)" located at JANDIALA GURU in Amritsar Distt. has been selecting and awarding a few Gursikhs who have rendered outstanding sewa to society at large during the year. You all will be glad to know that our recommendation for this award in respect of our Secretary Col. Jagtar Singh Multani for his outstanding work, as member of the ISC, in the field of uplifting education in the Rural Areas and getting over Rs.200 crores of Central Funds under the PM's 15 Point Programme for Minorities disbursed among meritorius and needy students has been accepted. We have been invited to this ceremony at Jandiala Guru on Monday 29th December at 6:30 PM sharp. The event will be telecast live on all major Punjab Channels. The award will be received from the Singh Sahibaan. This has certainly brought the ISC to the forefront in raising the position of Punjab in Education as recognised by the HRD Ministry in the Indian Government.
Sterling Work Done on the Education Front
Our continued effort to expand the Scholarship Scheme under the PM's 15 Point Programme has seen considerable progress. More and more students have come forward to claim their 'Right'. Surprisingly we have learnt only recently that District MANSA is totally ignorant about this. Just recently one retired Senior IAS officer who has taken up this voluntary work on the Education Front revealed this to us after a briefing by us. He has decided to set things right and we shall support him make up for lost time. This voluntary worker Dr. Karmjit Singh Sra, has been given all relevant material.
ISC has rendered massive help to the Punjab Govt's Minority Cell in Sector 34 including manpower wherever it needed our assistance.
Conference of Legal Luminaries Organised by the ISC and Institute of Sikh Studies" (IOSS).
This conference was held on 11th Oct 2014 on the subject "How to Ensure Sovereign Functioning of Sri Akal Takht Sahib". About 35 Sikh Legal luminaries and concerned and renowned scholars met in a very business-like manner for a scheduled three hours meeting. Concerned available data had been dug out and provided in advance to all the delegates. Hence, we could concentrate directly on the crux of the matter and elicit concrete diverse opinions which were recorded. Later, after a thorough review and discussion between the Secretary General ISC and Dr.Birendra Kaur, President IOSS, a detailed combined report suggesting possible Lines of Action was sent to all participants. We have now asked for suggestions from them on methods for giving concrete shape to the aspirations of the Panth. We plan to formulate a concrete workable plan to implement this with the help of active Sikh Organisations, who are at present ready to join us in this very vital need of the Sikh Community.
Meeting of Major Organisers in Patiala
The ISC honoured field workers at Patiala S.Inderjit Singh, S.Pritam Singh and S. Surinder Pal Singh Chadda of the DBG NGO arranged and helped a very active NGO to organise a seminar on Education at Patiala on 17th Dec 2014. Col. J.S. Multani Secretary took active part along with many other very active NGO's including a Dubai based SARBAT DA BHALLA and also Punjabi University. Among the speakers were Vice Chancellor Punjabi University, Sardar SS Oberoi ( Chairman Sarbat Da Bhalla) and Col. J.S.Multani. The Oberoi Group is spending crores in India helping in various charitable schemes including Education.
The work done by ISC was highly valued and Sardar Oberoi decided to help us by setting up his NGO's offices in this direction in every district of Punjab. Dr. Jaspal Singh was very impressed with ISC achievements and decided to open Minority Cell in the University campus to monitor the schemes functioning with ISC help. He planned to issue instructions to all 270 Colleges and Centres affiliated to them for fast action in this direction. This was indeed a very productive seminar towards uplifting education in Punjab.
Important Visit by Member Minority Commission of India
On 11th Dec 2014 we were honoured to receive an official visit by Dr. Ajaib Singh, Member Minority Commission of India. He was received at our Headquarter office in Guru Granth Sahib Bhawan, Madhya Marg, Chandigarh followed by a three hour business like meeting in the ISC office.
He was briefed on the various activities of the ISC and the Institute of Sikh Studies which he highly appreciated. He was very interested in our success on the Education uplift in Rural Areas of Punjab with particular stress in the increased support and success obtained by us on the PM's 15 Point Programme for Minorities.
The outcome was a positive support to our many suggestions to further follow-up in this sphere to make it a further success. In fact we have now sent a detailed letter putting forth concrete suggestions for further strengthening the scheme. These include suggestion raising of Income Ceiling of parents due to high inflation and also doubling the amount of scholarship money to students. He agreed to fully support us.
Bibi Birendra Kaur strongly projected a need to produce a STANDARD version in English of the Guru Granth Sahib. Dr. Ajaib Singh agreed fully to this suggestion. The IOSS, President will now submit a case for allotment of needed funds to achieve this very important and vital task under the aegis of the IOSS.
Aid Rendered by ISC to Govt. High School at Chandpuranain Moga District
On our being approached by an NRI Sardar Baldev Singh, U.K., about his desire to upgrade the school in his village from class 10th to 10+2, we visited the school on 7/10/2014 and met the staff and students and scrutinised the whole infrastructure and land available for expansion. There seems to be no Senior Secondary Schools within a 15 Kilometer radius of the village and yet the Govt. has held up this case for upgradation for the last three years or more. Sardar Baldev Singh has already spent more than sixty lakhs in improving the school in all directions and has given in writing that he will further finance the upgradation. His efforts have so far failed to achieve this and his case remains neglected.
We met the highest authorities concerned and have taken up this issue with the Education Minister. We plan to ensure all help to the School in order to help the Rural Villages in that whole backward area.
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