Punjab News:PUNJAB GOVERNMENT ADVANCES TECHNICAL EDUCATION WITH INNOVATION LABS ACROSS FIVE GOVERNMENT POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES

Punjab News:PUNJAB GOVERNMENT ADVANCES TECHNICAL EDUCATION WITH INNOVATION LABS ACROSS FIVE GOVERNMENT POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES

*•Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains inaugurates initiative under ‘Punjab Sikhiya Kranti’ to promote hands-on learning, prototyping and industry-ready skills*

*•MP Malvinder Singh Kang lauds Bhagwant Singh Mann Government’s efforts to transform Punjab’s traditional education system into a modern, excellence-driven ecosystem*

In a significant step towards modernising technical education and preparing students for the future world of work, the Punjab Government has launched Innovation Labs across five Government Polytechnic Colleges in the State under the flagship ‘Punjab Sikhiya Kranti’ initiative.

The Innovation Labs were formally inaugurated by Punjab Technical Education and Industrial Training Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains at Government Polytechnic College, Khunimajra, Kharar, in the presence of Member of Parliament Malvinder Singh Kang.

The initiative has been undertaken in collaboration with Vibha India and the Maker Bhavan Foundation, bringing together government support and technical expertise to provide students with modern infrastructure, advanced tools and experiential learning opportunities.

The Minister said that Innovation Labs have been established at Government Polytechnic College, Khunimajra; Government Polytechnic College, Bathinda; Government Polytechnic College, Ferozepur; Government Polytechnic College, Badbar; and Government Polytechnic College, Talwara, at a total cost of Rs 1.5 crore.

Designed to complement conventional classroom learning, these Innovation Labs will function as dynamic, hands-on maker spaces where students will gain access to modern technologies and tools. The facilities will enable students to experiment, develop prototypes and transform ideas into practical solutions while addressing real-world challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration.

Speaking on the occasion, S. Harjot Singh Bains said that polytechnic students constitute Punjab’s future technical workforce and that the State Government is committed to equipping them with quality education as well as the tools, technology and opportunities required to innovate and excel.

“Our objective is to ensure that our technical institutions do not remain limited to classroom-based education. Students must have opportunities to experiment, innovate and create. These Innovation Labs will provide young people with a platform to transform their ideas into practical solutions and prepare themselves for the rapidly changing requirements of industry,” he said.

Elaborating on the objectives of the newly established labs, the Minister said that these facilities will promote essential 21st-century skills, including creative thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and applied technical proficiency. The labs will also provide structured opportunities for student engagement through technology-driven projects, prototyping exercises and innovation challenges.

He said the initiative will further strengthen the alignment between technical education, emerging industrial requirements and graduate employability. The collaborative implementation involving the Punjab Government, Vibha India and Maker Bhavan Foundation will also help create and sustain a robust maker ecosystem across Government Polytechnic Colleges.

1. Harjot Singh Bains said that the establishment of Innovation Labs marks an important milestone in transforming Punjab’s Government Polytechnic Colleges into vibrant centres of technical innovation, entrepreneurship and industry-ready talent development.

He said that the Innovation Labs will help replace outdated models of practical technical education and bridge the gap between academic learning and job-oriented skill development.

Highlighting other initiatives undertaken by the Punjab Government in the field of technical education, the Minister said that Air Hostess Courses have been introduced for the first time in the history of technical education in Punjab. He added that, as a result of the sustained efforts of the Bhagwant Singh Mann Government, student enrolment in Government technical institutions has doubled.

Member of Parliament Malvinder Singh Kang lauded the efforts of the Bhagwant Singh Mann Government in bringing about transformational changes in Punjab’s education system. He said that the State Government’s sustained focus on modern infrastructure, skill development, innovation and technology-based learning is helping transform the traditional education system into a modern and excellence-driven ecosystem.