SIKKIM BECAME NATION’S MOST LITERATE STATE NOW UNDER SDF GOVT: CELEBRATES FORMER CHIEF MINISTER

Sikkim is the most literate state in India. Former Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has expressed pride on Sikkim, the youngest State in the country, becoming the most literate State during the past SDF government.

In his Sunday press statement, the former Chief Minister shared the milestone achievements of the SDF government in the field of education. He pointed out that literacy rate in Sikkim increased from 56.94% in 1991 to 96.72 per cent in 2018.

“Today I take pride in the fact that Sikkim, the youngest State in the country, has become the most literate State in India. I take pride in the fact that most of our young people are educated, capable and smart. There are doctors, engineers, skilled professionals, professors and young people with Master’s degrees and PhDs in the villages of Sikkim,” said Chamling.

If anyone wants to say that the SDF government manipulated these facts and figures and bought the awards, I have nothing to say except, “Grow up”, said the SDF president. Chamling shared that the SDF government had taken remarkable policy decisions in education sector.

“Almost 99 percent of schools have pucca buildings. We provided our students with India’s best teacher pupil ratio of 9:1. We built schools within walking distance (max 2 km) for every child.

We made education free up to the college level. We distributed free school uniforms, books, exercise copies, raincoats, school bags, shoes and socks. We allocated 20% of the State budget to education. We expanded higher (college) education to all the districts and rural areas of Sikkim,” he said.

Chamling highlighted that the Chief Minister Meritorious Scholarship Scheme (CMMSS), launched in 2010, remains “very close” to his heart. Under the CMMSS, all the class V toppers who have studied in government schools alone are selected through a State-wide test to study in India’s top-rated schools within and outside the State, he mentioned.

Sikkim Benefitted By The Scholarship Scheme

“During my tenures as CM, I painfully discovered that even the reservations provided for different categories such as BL, ST, SC, OBC were mostly availed of by candidates who studied in good schools. Most of the professional courses like doctors, engineers, architects, etc. were bagged by students from good top-rated schools.

I began to wonder if we could help meritorious students in government schools to find admission in some of the best schools in India and Sikkim. That gave birth to the CMMSS. It gives me immense joy to see thousands of Sikkimese students from poor families studying in those schools under this scheme,” said Chamling.

Chamling shared that the SDF government started free coaching for students preparing for UPSC exams providing a coaching fee of Rs. 2 lakh per student. He highlighted that in 2012–13, Sikkim was ranked fourth among all States of India on the Composite Educational Development Index.

“We also made teaching positions the highest paid job in the country. We took all possible steps to make teaching a special and dignified job,” said the former Chief Minister.

“Finally I appeal to the people of Sikkim and particularly education enthusiasts to keep doing our best in whatever way we can to contribute towards creating public awareness about the significance of education in human civilization,” said Chamling.

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