Shimla, March 28 – The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, approved several major decisions on Friday:
Education Reforms: The Directorate of Elementary Education has been upgraded to the Directorate of School Education, overseeing pre-nursery to Class 12.
The government also amended RTE rules to introduce board exams for Class 5 and Class 8, with a re-exam provision for failed students.
Public Transport: The Cabinet approved the purchase of 297 electric buses and 24 air-conditioned luxury buses for HRTC.
Technical Education Awards: A new State Award for Teachers in Technical Education will be introduced, covering 10 awards across six categories.
Bonafide Status for Orphaned Children: Children abandoned or surrendered and living in Child Care Institutions for 15+ years will now be eligible for Bonafide Himachali certificates.
Vehicles will be purchased to strengthen enforcement against illegal mining.
The government approved a ₹1,000 crore guarantee for the HPPCL to raise funds for the controversial Shongtong-Karchham Hydropower Project.
