Latest news with #SatwantKaur
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
After final counselling, 24 seats still vacant at govt residential school
Ludhiana: Even after the fourth and final round of counselling, twenty-four seats remain vacant at the Senior Secondary Residential School for Meritorious Students here. It is a state-run fully residential institution known for its strong academic results and free, high-quality education for bright students from underprivileged backgrounds. Its Ludhiana campus is one of 10 such schools set up across Punjab. The last counselling session was held on Aug 4, when the school still had 120 seats vacant. Of these, 96 seats were filled. However, 24 admitted students comprising 15 boys and nine girls, have not reported to the campus, leaving their seats unclaimed. According to official figures, the school has a total of 500 seats — 300 in the non-medical stream, 100 each in medical, and commerce. After the fourth counselling, vacancies remain in 16 non-medical, six medical, and two commerce seats. Principal Satwant Kaur cited counselling sessions spread over a long period and reluctance of students and their families to adapt to hostel life as some of the factors behind seats remaining vacant. She said, "Many of our students come from rural backgrounds and have never stayed away from their families. They are not used to living away from home and can't stay in a hostel, as they are still young, even if they have qualified for admission. " She added, "Another big reason for the unfilled vacancies is the protracted counselling. Counselling sessions extend over a long period. As a result, many students who have already taken provisional admissions in other schools don't tend to leave their schools as provisional classes for Class XI begin in April." tnn Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. "Get the latest news updates on Times of India, including reviews of the movie Coolie and War 2 ."
New Indian Express
11-08-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Another split in Akali Dal as Harpreet Singh elected president of breakaway faction
CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal saw another split on Monday, with former Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh being unanimously elected president of the breakaway faction of the 104-year-old party. Satwant Kaur was appointed chairperson of the Panthic council of the new party by a five-member committee constituted by the Akal Takht. The Akal Takht-appointed committee held a meeting of the breakaway group of the SAD at Gurdwara Burj Akali Phoola Singh in Amritsar, which is being touted by the dissidents as the rebirth of the 'real' party. The move is an open challenge to the authority of Sukhir Singh Badal whose leadership, these rebels say, has plunged the once-dominant regional force into a crisis. Issuing a clarion call to revive the original Akali Dal of 1920, the panel announced that Harpreet Singh would not contest elections. The breakaway faction claims to represent the original Akali Dal and intends to approach the Election Commission of India (ECI) for ratification. Former SGPC presidents Bibi Jagir Kaur and Gobind Singh Longowal, along with Prem Singh Chandumajra, were present, sending a clear message that these prominent Akali leaders support the breakaway faction. The election of the president was conducted under the supervision of Santa Singh Umaidpuri, a panel member appointed as election officer after duly notifying the ECI. Other panel members include Manpreet Singh Ayali, Gurpartap Singh Wadala and Iqbal Singh Jhunda. This split is due to years of frustration with Sukhbir, who was declared 'tankhaiya' (guilty of religious misconduct) last year for allegedly violating the religious code of conduct by mishandling the crisis sparked by incidents of sacrilege in October 2015. Under his leadership, the party lost the 2017 and then the 2022 assembly elections and now has just three MLAs in the assembly.
Hindustan Times
10-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: Twist in tale: Now, Giani Harpreet set to head SAD breakaway faction
After opting out of the race for presidency of the breakaway faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), former Akal Takht acting jathedar and Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh has reportedly agreed to accept the proposal of the delegates who will be holding a meeting on Monday to elect the group's president. Giani Harpreet Singh has reportedly agreed to accept the proposal of the delegates who will be holding a meeting on Monday to elect the group's president. (File) Dakha MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali as well as former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra on Sunday said a consensus has been reached. The meeting of around 500 delegates, elected from across the country under the supervision of the committee which was formed by the Akal Takht on December 2 last year to reorganise the SAD, will be held at Gurdwara Burj Akali Phoola Singh. Sources privy to the matter said majority of the delegates want Giani Harpreet Singh to become the president so his name has been almost finalised. Earlier, he had stated in a social media post that he could not contest the election against slain AISSF leader Amrik Singh's daughter Satwant Kaur, who is another contender for the top post, citing that she is a respected figure for him. There were reports that the five members of the Akal Takht-appointed committee — Manpreet Singh Ayali, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Iqbal Singh Jhoonda, Santa Singh Umaidpuri and Satwant Kaur — were divided as a section wanted Giani Harpreet Singh to be elected to the top post while the other wanted Satwant Kaur to be the president. According to reports, former SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal, associated with the rebel camp, approached Giani Harpreet Singh to persuade him to become the president. Kaur may be assigned the responsibility of heading the religious council of the party, which is to be constituted for coordinating with panthic groups for the SGPC elections, said sources. MLA Ayali said, 'The five-member committee has reached a consensus on Giani Harpreet Singh and we have decided to make Bibi Satwant Kaur a head of the panthic council as a convener which will also be constituted simultaneously during the election.' He added that Giani Harpreet's name would be proposed in Monday's meeting and would be thrown open for voting, if delegates wish to hold an election. 'If anyone else wants to contest, we are open,' he said. Senior leader of the rebel camp and former minister Surjit Singh Rakhra publicly announced while speaking with a TV channel that Giani Harpreet Singh would be elected president of the party and Satwant Kaur would be appointed as head of the religious council. Hours later, active members of the Akal Takht-appointed panel issued a press release, terming Rakhra's statement as personal views and stated the election would be conducted. The committee members said the final decision would be taken by the elected delegates in the general assembly. Rakhra was among the senior leaders of the breakaway faction who conducted a meeting in Chandigarh on Sunday evening. According to Gurpartap Singh Wadala, as per feedback and sentiment in the panthic circles, Giani Harpreet has emerged as a choice for the top post. Satwant Kaur's father Amrik Singh was an associate of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and was killed during Operation Bluestar. Amrik's father Kartar Singh Bhindranwale remained head of Damdami Taksal. She was among the seven-member panel for SAD's reorganisation named in December last year by the Akal Takht, which included SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, former president Kirpal Singh Badungar, Ayali, Jhundan, Wadala and Umaidpuri. Dhami and Badungar had distanced themselves from the panel after which the remaining five members had started their membership drive in March. Giani Harpreet Singh, who was jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, was one of the key curators of the December 2 edict under which SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal was declared tankhaiya for the 'mistakes' committed during the SAD regime in Punjab between 2007 and 2017. Giani Harpreet was later removed by the SGPC but continued to support the membership drive and was also critical of the SAD leaders, including party president Sukhbir Singh Badal. Giani Harpreet Singh also faced criticism from the Sukhbir-led SAD, which alleged that he had a tacit understanding with the BJP.
Time of India
10-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Twists and turns: Giani Harpreet back in race for SAD chief
Jalandhar: A day after former Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh announced his decision to quit the race for the presidency and endorsed the candidature of , the dissident Akali camp and the five-member committee, in a joint meeting at Chandigarh on Saturday, decided to propose his name for unanimous election. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now However, the decision was not taken without hiccups. If everything goes well at the Aug 11 election meeting, Giani Harpreet Singh will be the first SAD president from a scheduled caste background. Earlier, he was the acting Jathedar of Akal Takht. Sources privy to the deliberations in the meeting revealed that it was also decided to have a Panthic Talmel Committee, which would be headed by Satwant Kaur. Its main task would be to bring Panthic forces onto a common platform. As Giani Harpreet Singh's announcement on Friday morning through his social media accounts jolted the entire dissident Akali camp, its senior leaders worked to persuade him to accept the post. Satwant Kaur, a member of the five-member committee, is the daughter of the then All India Sikh Students Federation President Amrik Singh, who was a close associate of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and was killed in Operation Blue Star. Akal Takht formed a seven-member committee in its December 2 pronouncement, but two of its members - Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee President Harjinder Singh Dhami and former President Kirpal Singh Badungar - stayed away from its function on one pretext or another. It is learnt that the first leaders of the erstwhile SAD Sudhar Lehar held a meeting with Giani Harpreet Singh in Chandigarh and persuaded him to accept the post. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Then a meeting at a separate place was held in which Sudhar Lehar leaders and the five-member committee, barring Satwant Kaur, participated. In this meeting, committee members Manpreet Singh Aiyali, Iqbal Singh Jhoondan, and Santa Singh Umaidpuri strongly argued for having Satwant Kaur as the new president. From the committee, Gurpartap Singh Wadala supported the former Jathedar. Sources said that those who supported Satwant argued that with her at the helm, they could easily take along MP Amritpal Singh's camp, and he was still popular. However, after a discussion involving arguments and counter-arguments, the majority of the leaders put their weight behind Giani Harpreet Singh, and it was decided to propose his name for unanimous election. It is learnt that a phone call to Giani Harpreet Singh by a leader on Thursday night, conveying a formula that appeared to undermine him, rattled him, and he decided to quit the race.
Time of India
08-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Giani Harpreet quits SAD leadership race after ‘phone call', endorses rival
Jalandhar/Amritsar: Former Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh on Friday withdrew from the race for the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) presidency, throwing his support behind Satwant Kaur , a fellow member of the party's five-member election committee and daughter of Amrik Singh, a close associate of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who died alongside him in June 1984's Operation Bluestar. In a message posted on X, Giani Harpreet Singh said he had come to know that both his name and Satwant Kaur's were under consideration for the Aug 11 election. While some members favoured him and others backed Satwant Kaur, the former jathedar said he had "great respect" for her and urged the committee not to include his name in opposition to hers. Party sources said Giani Harpreet Singh's decision had followed a tense night of internal discussions and a phone call from a leader that had left him feeling undermined. Until then, Satwant Kaur and he had been the main contenders, with her bid supported by Manpreet Singh Aiyali, Iqbal Singh Jhoonda, and Santa Singh Umaidpuri, while the former jathedar enjoyed backing from Gurpartap Singh Wadala and senior figures from the former SAD Sudhar Lehar. Satwant Kaur, an employee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), was appointed to the original seven-member enrolment panel last Dec at Giani Harpreet Singh's request. That same month, the former jathedar played a central role in the Akal Takht's decision to strip late Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal of the 'Panth Ratan Fakhe-e-Qaum' title — a move that infuriated SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal's camp and preceded Giani Harpreet Singh's removal as Damdama Sahib jathedar. A Panthic source noted that Giani Harpreet Singh and Satwant Kaur differed on some issues and claimed she was reluctant to take up the presidency. "If she declines, Harpreet could emerge again as the leading contender," the source said. The episode has shaken the dissident camp, which has sought to project unity under the Akal Takht's Dec 2 directive, but now grapples with the same internal power plays it once criticised in the party mainstream. MSID:: 123190561 413 | Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
