Himachal CM credits Congress for State's climb up education rankings

Himachal Pradesh ranked 21st in quality education in 2021 under the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)government, but following reforms brought in by the incumbent Congress government, the State had climbed to the fifth position in the ranking, Chief MinisterSukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Saturday (October 3, 2026), directing a jibe at the BJP, the main Opposition party in the hill State.

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Mr. Sukhu, who was addressing a public gathering at Nogli in Rampur in Shimla district, said the State government had been working continuously to strengthen education, healthcare, and the rural economy, with a particular focus on improving public services and creating greater opportunities for the people.

"More than 10,000 teachers have been recruited during the present government's tenure, while another 4,000 teachers will be appointed within the next six months. Over 150 CBSE [Central Board of Secondary Education] schools have been opened across the State to promote quality education, with around 2,000 teachers already appointed in these institutions. These schools will enable students, particularly those in rural areas, to access quality education closer to their homes. During the previous BJP government's tenure, in 2021, Himachal Pradesh ranked 21st in the field of quality education, and with the reforms and efforts of the incumbent government, the State has reached the fifth position," Mr. Sukhu said.

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The Congress government had inherited a debt burden of ₹76,000 crore from the previous BJP government, along with liabilities of around ₹10,000 crore relating to employees, Mr. Sukhu said.

"The previous BJP government made [project] announcements worth more than ₹5,000 crore during the last six months of its tenure, without making adequate provision for the required staff and infrastructure, just for electoral gain," he said.

The public money belongs to the people of the State, and it was the government's responsibility is to use it for their welfare and development. "We are moving forward with commitment to vyavastha parivartan [transforming the system] by listening to the voice of the poor, understanding their concerns, and formulating policies accordingly," the Congress leader said.

Education and healthcare remained among the government's top priorities, he said, adding that financial constraints would not be allowed to hamper development in these sectors.

All government employees in the State had been brought under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), and this would continue as long as the Congress government remained in office, Mr. Sukhu said, adding that the State government was working on a policy to safeguard the interests of contract employees, which would be implemented soon.