Jammu, Apr 23: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday inaugurated the new school building of Swami Pranavanand Vidyamandir in Panjgrain, Nagrota, run by the Bharat Sevashram Sangha under the ‘Har Ghar Shiksha’ initiative. The school, which has been providing pre‑primary to Class 8 education since 2014, serves over 50 per cent students from economically weaker families, the LG said, adding that it has already “illuminated countless lives.”
Addressing the gathering, Sinha said the upcoming higher secondary building and skill‑infrastructure expansion will ensure quality education for disadvantaged students. Once fully completed, the multi‑floor building is expected to cater to more than 1,500 students, with future residential facilities planned for around 100 boys—set to boost the local economy and transform backward areas.
Stressing holistic nation‑building, Sinha urged students and teachers to align classrooms with the changing global landscape and help position India as a leading knowledge economy. He emphasised strengthening cultural awareness, communication skills, and democratic values, and highlighted the importance of art, sports, entrepreneurship and life skills alongside academics. Education, he asserted, must nurture creativity, critical thinking, moral decision‑making, collaboration and lifelong learning—human capacities that no machine can replace.
The Lieutenant Governor also spoke about rapid technological change and the need for continuous skilling and upskilling in the age of AI and automation. He highlighted the National Education Policy (NEP) as a powerful tool to bridge rural‑urban and regional‑social gaps, create a robust knowledge economy and support meritorious students from all backgrounds. True education, he said, must balance outer‑world competence with inner‑world self‑awareness and emotional resilience, blending science and values for national progress.
The Swami Pranavanand Vidyamandir initiative is supported by Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum and other donors. The inauguration was attended by Srimat Swami Biswatmanandaji Maharaj (General Secretary, Bharat Sevashram Sangha), Srimat Swami Ambarishanandaji Maharaj (Joint Secretary), senior sanyasins, and senior officials, along with MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, MLA Devyani Rana, former Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, IOCL HR Director Ms Rashmi Govil, HPCL Executive Director‑HR Vilas Zode, former JMC Mayor Chander Mohan Gupta and other prominent citizens.
