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Hindustan Times
13-07-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana's meritorious sr sec school struggles to hold on to top talent
As the third round of counselling for Class 11 admissions to meritorious schools concluded on Friday, Ludhiana's Senior Secondary Residential School for Meritorious Students finds itself grappling with a major setback- 75 seats, including 15 for boys and 60 for girls, still remain vacant. What is more alarming is that over 45 students who had earlier taken admission have already withdrawn, many just days after joining classes. The third round of counselling ongoing at meritorious school in Ludhiana on Friday. (HT Photo) In this third round, girls ranked between 1651 and 2754, and boys ranked between 945 and 1696 were called for counselling. But despite the school having a total capacity of 500 seats, interest continues to dwindle. Principal Satwant Kaur confirmed that more rounds of counselling may be conducted to fill the remaining seats. She also revealed that at least eight students did not report to school even after attending the initial counsellings. 'Some of them left citing psychological reasons like homesickness. In many cases, even parents came personally, pleading to send their children back home,' said Kaur. She added that students who had attended provisional classes at other institutions preferred to return to those familiar campuses instead of adjusting to the boarding setup of meritorious schools. A noticeable shift has been observed in student preference from meritorious schools to schools of eminence (SOEs). The latter are non-residential, better equipped, and more modern, making them a preferred choice for students and parents alike. While the state government inaugurated the infra works at various government schools under the 'Punjab Sikhya Kranti' programme, the Ludhiana meritorious school remains a neglected chapter. Despite hosting some of the state's brightest minds, the school suffers from alarming infrastructure issues, especially in its hostels and washrooms. The boys' hostel, with five blocks housed in two buildings (one from 1958 and the other built in 2014), has seen only a single renovation in more than a decade. Many rooms have broken window panes and damaged mesh, leading to poor ventilation and unhygienic conditions. Students from Class 12 voiced deep concern. 'The tiles in the washrooms are loose, rooms are in miserable condition. No one seems to care,' said one student. In the girls' hostel, the story is equally grim. 'Water seeps through the ceilings when someone uses the floor above. It's disgusting and unsafe,' shared a student. In sweltering summer heat, nearly 60 air coolers serve over 850 students, woefully insufficient for a school of its size. The lack of basic amenities has added to students' discomfort. District education officer (secondary) Dimple Madaan said she is in active talks with the deputy commissioner and a corporate group to release funds under a CSR initiative to improve the school's infrastructure. 'I am regularly following up and keeping a close tab,' she assured. Despite its academic promise, Ludhiana's meritorious school stands at a critical juncture, where the lack of attention to its crumbling infrastructure risks overshadowing the very merit it was built to nurture.
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Second round of counselling for meritorious schools begins today
Jun 30, 2025 06:38 AM IST The Meritorious Society has announced the second round of counselling for admission to Class 11 in Punjab's ten meritorious schools. Out of 4600 total seats, several reserved seats for categories like women headed households (WHH), private school students, and differently-abled candidates remain vacant after the first counselling. Officials during the first round of counselling for admissions to Class 11 at meritorious schools in Ludhiana. (HT Photo) Satwant Kaur, principal of meritorious school, Ludhiana, shared that nearly 100 seats are still open in Ludhiana and are expected to fill during Monday's counselling. A merit list has already been released separately for boys and girls. Counselling will start at 8 am sharp, with girls from roll numbers 1 to 730 and boys from 1 to 259 being called in. Admissions will be determined by scores in the entrance exam, with 60% of the total seats reserved for girls and 40% for boys. Eligibility for reserved seats requires SC/ST candidates to have at least 65% marks in Class 10, while students from other categories must have secured 70%. Only Class 10 certificates downloaded from the Punjab School Education Board's DigiLocker portal, duly signed and stamped by the school principal, will be accepted. For students from recognised private and aided schools in Punjab, 10% of seats are reserved, they must present a smart card issued within the last six months or get an older one counter-signed with a fresh date. Differently-abled girls have 10% reservation and boys have 5%, but a valid certificate of at least 40% disability is mandatory. Similarly, under the women headed household category, 20% seats are reserved exclusively for girls with proper certification from a competent authority. Candidates after being allotted seats, must report to their respective schools within two days of the seat allotment, failing which their seat will be considered vacant.
Hindustan Times
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Edu makeover plan: Meritorious school in Ludhiana yet to make the cut
While the state government has been unveiling one school project after another under its Punjab Sikhya Kranti programme since April 7, the Senior Secondary Residential School for Meritorious Students in Ludhiana remains a forgotten chapter in Punjab's education story. Despite being a home to some of the brightest young minds, the school continues to suffer from neglect, particularly in its hostel and washroom infrastructure. The boys' hostel tells a tale of crumbling promises. With five blocks split between two buildings, one dating back to 1958 and the other constructed in 2014, only a single round of renovation has been carried out in over a decade. Many rooms have broken windowpanes and damaged mesh, leaving students exposed to discomfort and poor hygiene. Class 12 students said the condition is worsening with each passing day. 'The washrooms in both the old and new hostel buildings are in a terrible condition. Tiles are loose and shaky and a few rooms are just miserable,' said one of the students. Another student echoed the sentiment, expressing frustration over the state of basic facilities. The situation of washrooms in the girls' hostel is no different. 'Water leaks from the ceiling when someone uses the washroom on the floor above. It's unhygienic and disturbing,' said a girl student. The Sikhya Kranti programme, which aims to overhaul nearly 12,000 government schools through over 25,000 projects worth ₹2,000 crore, is set to conclude on May 31. Each completed project includes a plaque honouring the chief minister and the education minister, but this Meritorious School in Ludhiana stands as a glaring omission from the celebration. When asked, education minister Harjot Singh Bains said that a private group had promised ₹2 crore for the school's renovation. However, principal Satwant Kaur clarified, 'No such funds have been received so far. The hostels urgently need attention, and we've now approached the deputy commissioner, requesting ₹2 crore to carry out essential repairs and renovations.' District education officer (secondary) Dimple Madaan said, 'Under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, the funds were initially expected from a company, but there was a delay. I have now approached another company for support and we are hopeful that the funds will be received soon.' As Punjab celebrates its school makeovers, the Meritorious School in Ludhiana, built to support and shape the future of high-achieving students, waits patiently for its turn under the spotlight.
