Launching the distribution of ₹271 crore in Post-Matric Scholarships to over 2.7 lakh Scheduled Caste students, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday said the initiative marked a decisive break from past governance, asserting that while Congress, the Shiromani Akali Dal and the BJP remained preoccupied with sons and in-laws, the Aam Aadmi Party government was focused on securing the future of Punjab’s children.

Addressing a large gathering at the PAP Ground in Jalandhar, Mann said the sharp 35 percent increase in scholarship beneficiaries since 2020–21 was the outcome of genuine reforms in the education system, not political tokenism. He said earlier governments had allowed a scholarship scam to flourish, with funds delayed or diverted, forcing many students to miss examinations and even have their degrees withheld.

“The Post-Matric Scholarship has moved from scam to ‘Punjab Shine’,” the Chief Minister said, adding that education was the only instrument capable of transforming the destiny of the underprivileged. He alleged that between 2017 and 2020, the scheme had virtually collapsed due to corruption, betraying the very community it was meant to uplift.

Mann said the scholarship, implemented under Mission Rangla Punjab, was not merely financial assistance but a pathway to self-reliance. He noted that the budget had been increased from ₹245 crore to ₹271 crore and that beneficiaries had risen substantially in 2024–25. The scheme, he said, was meant for SC students from families with an annual income below ₹2.50 lakh and was being implemented with complete transparency.

To prevent misuse, the Chief Minister said bio-authentication had been made mandatory for students, heads of institutions and nodal officers, while a new accountability mechanism had been introduced on the Dr Ambedkar Scholarship Portal. “No child should be forced to abandon their dreams due to lack of money,” he said.

Linking the initiative to Babasaheb Ambedkar’s philosophy, Mann said education had been placed at the centre of governance in Punjab. He maintained that freebies alone could not eradicate poverty or social inequality, and that only education could break the vicious cycle of deprivation.

The Chief Minister also highlighted broader reforms in education and health. He said Schools of Eminence had been set up across the state with smart classrooms, modern laboratories and playgrounds, while teachers and principals were being sent abroad for specialised training. Punjab, he claimed, had topped the National Achievement Survey, surpassing Kerala, and students from government schools were now clearing competitive exams such as JEE and NEET.

On healthcare, Mann said Punjab had become the first state to provide free treatment up to ₹10 lakh to all families under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojna, with 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics offering daily free services. He also cited transparent recruitment of over 63,000 government jobs, free electricity to 90 percent households and revival of watercourses to support farmers.

Taking a political swipe, the Chief Minister said traditional parties had lost public trust due to their “anti-people” approach and inability to accept that a common man’s son was effectively governing Punjab.

Cabinet Ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Dr Baljit Kaur also addressed the gathering. Several beneficiary students shared their experiences, crediting the scholarship scheme for enabling them to pursue professional and higher education despite weak financial backgrounds.

Prominent dignitaries, including Cabinet Ministers Hardeep Singh Mundian and Mohinder Bhagat, Lok Sabha MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal and Rajya Sabha MP Sant Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, were present at the event.