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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday said that newly established CBSE schools in the state would emerge among the finest educational institutions within the next five years.

Addressing the Foundation Day celebration of Bishop Cotton School (BCS) in Shimla, Sukhu said the state government was committed to providing equal opportunities to every child and had introduced English-medium education from Class I in government schools. He said 156 government schools had been affiliated with the CBSE, resulting in encouraging outcomes and an increase in enrolment by more than 24,000 students.

CM Praises Bishop Cotton School's Legacy

"Himachal Pradesh is best suited for education as the state is student-friendly and education-friendly," the Chief Minister said, adding that Bishop Cotton School was not merely an educational institution but a living tradition of excellence, leadership, discipline and character-building.

Recalling his personal association with the institution, Sukhu said he had visited the school several times during his college days to participate in cricket tournaments and shared a special bond with the institution.

He said the school's alumni had excelled in diverse fields in India and abroad, bringing laurels to the institution and making meaningful contributions to society.

State's Education Reforms and Achievements

The Chief Minister said education was the strongest foundation of any progressive society and the state government had accorded the highest priority to the sector. He said Himachal Pradesh had achieved the milestone of becoming a fully literate state with a literacy rate of 99.30 per cent, adding that the achievement reflected the state's collective commitment to education.

Sukhu further said the state had undertaken various reforms to improve education standards. Citing the ASER Report, he said children in Himachal Pradesh had demonstrated the highest reading proficiency in the country. He also said that in the PARAKH assessments, the state had significantly improved its national ranking, moving from 21st position in 2021 to among the top-performing states. He added that Himachal Pradesh had climbed seven positions in the Ministry of Education's Performance Grading Index to secure sixth place nationally.

Foundation Day Ceremonies

Earlier, the Chief Minister laid a wreath at the memorial of Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton, the founder of the school, and hoisted the school flag. He also flagged off the school's Mountaineering Expedition-2026 to Leh and Ladakh, scheduled from July 28 to August 8, to Mt Yalung Nong, at an altitude of 6,090 metres. Students Amod Talwalkar, Laldinzuala, Altamash Nomani, Tenzin Tsewang, Manraj Singh Grover and Aman Agarwal are part of the expedition.

MLA Harish Janartha, OSD to the Chief Minister Saurav Chauhan, school board member Manav Singh, Headmaster Matthew P. John, Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.