PUNJAB 1st STATE TO INCLUDE “ENTREPRENEURSHIP”AS CORE SUBJECT IN SCHOOLS
• EM Harjot Bains & Incharge AAP Punjab Manish Sisodia launches the curriculum
*• Move aims to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among students by encouraging them to become job creators, says Bains*
*• Every school student ‘ll be equipped to launch own venture: Manish Sisodia*
CHANDIGARH, August 29 (WISHAVWARTA):- Punjab has become the first state in India to introduce “Entrepreneurship” as a main subject for Class XI students, aiming to foster an entrepreneurial mindset among students, encouraging them to become job creators rather than job seekers.
The groundbreaking initiative, set to begin in the 2025-26 academic year, was launched today by Punjab School Education Minister S. Harjot Singh Bains, along with Punjab AAP Incharge Sh. Manish Sisodia.
While addressing the launch function organised here at Municipal Bhawan, S. Harjot Singh Bains said that Punjab has become the first state in the country to formally embed entrepreneurship as a core subject in school education, empowering students to become innovators, problem-solvers and job creators.
Highlighting the key characteristics of the newly launched subject, the Education Minister informed that the curriculum is designed to be experiential and hands-on. Students will form teams, develop business ideas, build prototypes, pitch for seed funding and launch their products/services in the market. He further informed that there will be no exam burden, with school-based evaluation replacing written exams. The assessment will comprise self-assessment, peer-assessment and teacher/mentor evaluation, fostering a supportive learning environment.
With 18 periods allocated annually (3 theory + 15 project-based), this curriculum will ensure engaging learning without any additional pressure on students, he added.
Highlighting the economic impact of the initiative, S. Harjot Singh Bains noted that with over 2.68 lakh students across 3,840 senior secondary schools, even a 10% success rate could generate Rs. 300-400 crore in annual student-led economic activity. This initiative is poised to create local demand, job and community engagement to drive economic growth from a grassroots level.
“The Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government believes in the dreams of its youth. This initiative aims to nurture creativity, resilience and problem-solving skills, empowering students to create opportunities rather than wait for them. Our classrooms will transform into incubators of ideas, and teachers will serve as startup coaches, mentoring students to become leaders and job creators,” S. Bains stated while adding that this initiative fosters innovation, decision-making and self-reliance among students, besides, driving sustainable economic development.
S. Harjot Singh Bains said that this initiative is a significant milestone in the success story of the Punjab Business Blasters Programme, launched in November 2022 under the Punjab Young Entrepreneurs Programme. From humble beginnings with 32 schools and 11,041 students, the program has witnessed remarkable growth, scaling up to nearly 1.8 lakh students across 1,927 schools, and continues to empower young entrepreneurs across Punjab.
Meanwhile, Sh. Manish Sisodia enthusiastically stated that the Punjab Government’s education system is poised to enter a new era of innovation and entrepreneurship with the introduction of this pioneering course. He expressed his confidence that Punjab will set an example by becoming the first state where every student passing out of school will have the skills and knowledge to start their own venture or company.
He rhetorically asked, “If our students can secure top positions in renowned international companies, why can’t they be the founders of their own companies?” This forward-thinking approach will empower students to become job creators rather than job seekers, fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
Chairman Punjab School Education Board Mr. Amarpal Singh, Secretary Punjab School Education Board Mr. Gurinder Singh Sodhi and other Senior Officials of School Education department and teachers were also present during the event.
