Executive Meet: SGPC to prepare 25 Sikh students for civil services exams every year

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has opened Nishchay Academy in Chandigarh to prepare Amritdhari Sikh students for the competitive exams of IAS, IPS, PCS, and other services, for which an agreement has been signed with an institute in Chandigarh.

Under this project, the coaching, stay and other expenses of 25 Sikh students will be borne by the SGPC every year.This information was shared by the SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami after presiding over a meeting of the executive committee. He said the committee has approved to prepare 25 Sikh students for the competitive exams in the said academy as per their merit.

“This process will start from April 1 and will continue every year. Apart from 25 students to be prepared by the SGPC this year, the expenses of 10 more students would be borne by Bhai Ram Singh, leader of United Singh Sabha Foundation. Accordingly, 35 Sikh students will be able to prepare for the competitive exams in the first year. The purpose of this project is to bring Sikh candidates to the high positions in the administrative services,” said Dhami.

About the other decisions, SGPC president said it has been decided to convene this year’s budget session of SGPC on March 28, which will be held at Teja Singh Samundri Hall at 1 pm. The budget sub-committee has given its recommendations, considering which the budget priorities would be made. The committee also took serious notice of “direct and indirect interference” in Sikh issues by governments.

“ Ministers are mispotraying Sikh affairs. Recently Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman hurt Sikh sentiments by rejecting the history of Gurdwara Guru Dongmar Sahib, Sikkim, the holy place associated with Sri Guru Nanak Dev. Gurdwara Dongmar Sahib and the lake there has a direct connection with Sri Guru Nanak Dev, who visited there during the third Udasi (long travel) in 1515-16 AD. Its case is being fought by the SGPC in the Sikkim high court, but the matter being sub-judice, the Union FM has violated the conduct of her constitutional position by making a one-sided statement”, said Dhami.

He said, “The governments are deliberately entangling Sikh affairs. The governments have deliberately interfered in the affairs of Takht Sri Patna Sahib, Takht Sri Hazur Sahib, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and now, the Sikh shrines in Haryana. The SGPC will not remain silent against such government interference and the struggle will be intensified. On this serious matter, a movement will be created by contacting the parties related to minorities and those representing human rights throughout India”.