Latest news with #Sangrur-based
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
40 Punjab govt school students clear JEE Advanced exam
Forty students from Punjab's government-run schools have cleared the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced, paving way for them to join the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), school education minister Harjot Singh Bains said on Tuesday. Congratulating the students, Bains said they have made the state proud. Bains said that Arshdeep Singh, student of Shaheed Flight Lt. Mohit Kumar Garg School of Eminence Samana, achieved the feat despite suffering a personal loss. He said Arshdeep's mother, Sunita Rani, worked as a sanitation worker at a meager salary of ₹8,000 a month. Yet, she instilled in him the determination to pursue his dreams. He also shared the story of Lovepreet Singh, a student from a government school in Ferozepur district, who cracked the JEE exam without private coaching. He achieved success despite limited financial resources, with the state government's free coaching camp providing him crucial academic exposure and motivation. Harkiran Dass, a government school student from Patiala, who has cleared the exam is the son of a local factory worker who earns ₹7,000 a month, said the minister 3 students from Sangrur govt schools also successful Among the successful students are three from Sangrur – Roshan Kumar, a student of Government Senior Secondary School, Badrukhan, Jashandeep Kaur of School of Eminence, Dirba, and Lakhwinder Singh from Meritorious School, Ghabdan. Roshan has secured an All India Rank (AIR) of 1,134 while Jashandeep secured an AIR of 2,945 and Lakhwinder Singh was ranked 3,278. District education officer, secondary, Tarwinder Kaur and deputy DEO Manjeet Kaur expressed their happiness, stating, 'It is a proud moment for us that students from government schools in our district will be going to IITs. This shows the dedication of our students and the quality of education provided in our institutions.' Reflecting on his success, Roshan said, 'I used to study for 15 hours daily. I had the full support of my teachers and family.' Besides self-study, Roshan also availed free coaching from a Sangrur-based institute and government platforms like 'Sathee' application for his preparation. He aspires to pursue Computer Science engineering. Jashandeep, hailing from Toor Banjara village, has secured a preparatory rank. A prep rank in JEE Advanced is a special rank allotted to SC PwD and ST candidates. Her principal, Bharat Bhushan from SOE Dirba, said that while she may consider other esteemed institutions like NITs (National Institute of Technology), joining an IIT would require her to reappear for the exam after a year. Jashandeep aspires to pursue BTech in Data Science. She stated, 'I want to be a data scientist. I had full support of my family. I took no external coaching; I attended the summer and winter camps organised by the Punjab government. I also used PACE, which is integrated within the Sathee app of the government, for further assistance in my studies.' Lakhwinder, who hails from Bhai Rupa village of Bathinda, and has achieved a prep rank of 3,278 without any coaching, said he had attended the summer camp organised by the state government. 'I did not know I had cleared the exam, my friend told me,' he said. He added that now he has taken admission in the BTech programme in computer science engineering and mechanical engineering at Punjabi University Campus, Talwandi Sabo.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Sangrur farmer to export ready-to-eat millets for health-conscious Canadians
Chandigarh: Having successfully exported nine millet types to Australia last year, a Sangrur-based grower is now targeting the health-conscious Punjabi diaspora in Canada with a new consignment of ready-to-eat millets ready for shipment next week. This expansion, fuelled by online visibility and positive word-of-mouth, also sees him catering to a growing local market of individuals and millet-biscuit factories. After returning from Australia five years ago, Dilpreet Singh, from Rajpura village in Sangrur, made a conscious shift from traditional wheat-paddy farming to millet cultivation. Setting his own standards, he adopted a chemical-free approach. "We have established complete end-to-end control over the value chain, handling primary and secondary processing, including international-quality packaging, within our own unit," he said. Embarking on millet exports wasn't without initial hurdles. The stringent Australian "nil germination" requirement necessitated the creation of a customised steaming plant on Dilpreet's farm. "Even the Punjab Agricultural University couldn't offer a solution," he recalled, emphasising a year of trial and error. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo Following the successful shipment of 14.3 tonnes to Australia last year, preparations are now underway for exports to Canada. Highlighting the diverse ways millets are consumed, he explained, "The Punjabi diaspora abroad typically uses Ragi, Jowar, and Bajra as flours, but South Indian communities prefer them as a rice alternative. As for me, I just had brown top millet cooked like rice for lunch." The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the United Nations recognised 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYM2023) to raise awareness about the health, nutritional, and environmental benefits of millets. Dilpreet lamented that the state govt can do a lot more in supporting millet cultivation. "Markfed, for instance, could easily integrate millets into their Sohna product line. Yet, they cite a lack of local supply and procure from Haryana. This leaves millet-growing farmers here without adequate buyers – a frustrating paradox," he said. Fluctuating prices in the local market pose another challenge. "During the International Year of Millets, brown top fetched Rs 85 per kg, only to plummet to Rs 28 per kg as raw material afterwards," Dilpreet explained. To counter this, he tried to carve out a niche by pre-soaking, dehydrating, and de-husking his millets, extending their shelf life to two years compared to the typical three months. "This value addition also enhances digestibility and imparts a pleasant aroma," he added. Dilpreet directly markets his homegrown millets online to health-conscious buyers and also supplies Markfed, Punjab Agro, millet restaurants, and millet-based biscuit factories. For his export ventures, including the upcoming consignment to Canada , he also sources millets from Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, in addition to those grown on his 14-acre farm.
