IIM Ahmedabad trains 34 Punjab Technical Education leaders under Sikhya Kranti
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, August 8, 2026: Punjab’s education reforms have taken another step forward with 34 officials from the Department of Technical Education and Industrial Training (DTEIT) completing a five-day Institutional Leadership and Performance Excellence Programme at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.
The residential programme was held from August 3 to 7 under the Punjab Government’s Punjab Sikhya Kranti initiative, which aims to strengthen education and create world-class learning ecosystems across the state.
The participants included principals and heads of departments from Government Polytechnic Colleges and Government ITIs, along with senior officials from the Directorate of Technical Education and Industrial Training.
The programme was specifically designed to strengthen institutional leadership and governance in government technical education institutions. Participants attended 20 intensive sessions conducted by IIM Ahmedabad faculty through case studies, simulations, group projects, institutional examples and practical exercises.
The training covered areas including data-driven decision-making, performance management, institutional governance, industry partnerships, student employability, workplace readiness and change management.
The initiative forms part of the government's broader efforts to modernise technical education in Punjab. These include semester-long internships for diploma students to provide practical industry exposure, a minimum of 40 hours of annual faculty training and the development of Centres of Excellence and upgraded machinery at government polytechnics.
Six Government Polytechnics have already been modernised, with further institutions to be covered in phases.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said exposure to reputed institutions such as IIM Ahmedabad would help education leaders bring new ideas and practices back to Punjab's technical institutions.
He said strengthening the leadership capabilities of principals and senior officials was essential to creating future-ready government polytechnics and ITIs and ensuring that students received training aligned with modern and international standards.
Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains said empowered principals and institutional leaders were the backbone of a successful technical education system.
He said the programme would strengthen the leadership, confidence and institutional capacity of principals and heads of departments and enable them to introduce improvements in classrooms, workshops and training laboratories.
Raksha Kiran, Principal of Government Polytechnic College, Khunimajra, said the sessions on institutional leadership and industry partnerships had provided new strategies for motivating faculty and students and strengthening collaboration with companies for internships and placements.
Kuldeep Singh, Principal of Government ITI, Bassi Pathana, said the exposure to case-based learning, data-driven planning and real-world problem-solving would help institutions become more accountable and student-centred.
The programme is part of a wider series of faculty and leadership development initiatives being undertaken during the 2026-27 academic year in collaboration with institutions including IIT Ropar, IIM Amritsar, IISER and NIFT, as well as industry exposure programmes with organisations such as Tata Steel.
These initiatives are aimed at building stronger leadership across Punjab's 26 Government Polytechnic Colleges and 137 Government ITIs and aligning technical education more closely with evolving industry requirements.