IAS, IPS officers to inspire and guide young minds in Punjab: Minister

IANS April 5, 2025 128 views

Punjab has launched an innovative School Mentorship Program that connects top civil servants directly with rural government school students. The groundbreaking initiative allows IAS, IPS, and other bureaucrats to voluntarily mentor schools and inspire young minds towards ambitious career paths. By sharing their experiences and networks, these officers will help students dream bigger and access broader opportunities. The program represents a unique approach to transforming public education through personal guidance and inspiration.

"Behind every successful child is someone who once believed in them" - Harjot Singh Bains
Chandigarh, April 4: In a step to empower government school students, Punjab has taken a lead by introducing one-of-its-kind “School Mentorship Program” wherein bureaucrats are being roped in to inspire and guide young minds to aim high in life, School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said on Friday.

Key Points

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Punjab introduces innovative mentorship program connecting civil servants with rural schools

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Top bureaucrats will voluntarily adopt and guide government school students

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Mentorship aims to inspire students towards ambitious career goals

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Program designed for long-term engagement over minimum five years

Bains told the media here that under this programme, the government has invited Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian First Service (IFS) and other civil service officers to mentor rural government schools to revitalising public education and nurturing young minds for excelling in life.

A notification was issued on Friday for implementation of the programme.

“Behind every successful child is someone who once believed in them. Through this program, our most accomplished officers will become mentors to our most underserved schools. It is a chance to go beyond administrative duties, and truly transform lives,” said minister Bains.

Highlighting the programme, he said the top bureaucrats can voluntarily adopt one government school for mentorship that is envisioned not as an administrative role but as a deeply humane and inspiring relationship.

He said officers will engage with students, teachers, and principals to motivate students to dream big and pursue ambitious goals, besides, supporting teachers in adopting innovative pedagogy and leveraging their experience and networks to bring improvements in school infrastructure, resources, and exposure opportunities.

Bains said officers will be encouraged to mentor schools located in remote, rural, or challenging settings, and once assigned, they would nurture the mentorship for at least five years, ensuring long-term engagement, bonding and impact. The officers would continue to mentor their schools irrespective of their transfers and postings, he added.

“Civil service officers bring with them a wealth of experience, exposure to governance, and a demonstrated track record of excellence,” he said, adding their journeys can inspire students to aim for institutions such as IITs, AIIMS, NDA, and the UPSC, while their networks can help schools access resources, partnerships, and new learning opportunities.

Reader Comments

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Priya K.
This is such a wonderful initiative! Having role models from civil services will truly inspire rural students to dream bigger. 👏 Hope it gets implemented well across all districts.
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Rahul S.
Great concept but I hope there's proper monitoring. Officers are already overworked - will they have time for meaningful engagement? The 5-year commitment sounds ambitious.
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Anjali M.
As someone from a village school, I wish we had this when I was studying! Exposure to successful professionals makes all the difference. Kudos to Punjab govt for this thoughtful program 💛
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Vikram P.
The focus on remote schools is commendable. But will officers actually visit frequently or just do token visits? Need proper guidelines and maybe some incentives for participation.
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Simran D.
Love this! My cousin's IAS journey inspired our whole village. Imagine dozens of officers doing this across Punjab - could be life-changing for so many kids!
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Amit R.
Hope they include successful professionals from private sector too. Not everyone wants to be an IAS officer - need diverse role models for different career paths.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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