Punjab Assembly passes five bills

Chandigarh, Jul 11 (PTI) The Punjab Assembly on Friday passed five bills, including two bills related to two private universities.
     The Rayat Bahra Professional University, Hoshiarpur Bill, 2025 and the C G C University, Mohali Bill, 2025, were unanimously passed by the Punjab Assembly on the second day of the special session.
     These bills were presented by Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains.
     While moving the two bills in the Punjab Assembly, Bains highlighted the state's progress in the field of education, citing an 85 per cent increase in enrolment in government colleges.
     He stated that all colleges in the state -- government, as well as private -- saw a significant rise in student enrolment from seven lakh in 2022 to nine lakh in the last academic session.
     Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, Bathinda, witnessed a notable surge in enrolment, growing from 1,400 to 2,480 students.
     The state has also expanded its ITI seats by approximately 35,000 in the past three years, with an impressive 99 per cent seat fill-up rate last year and further plans to add 5,000-7,000 more seats this year, the minister added.
     Bains attributed this growth to the AAP government's commitment to transform Punjab into a global education hub.
     Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond introduced the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and the Punjab Labour Welfare Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
     These bills were unanimously passed by the members of the Vidhan Sabha.
     On the amendments, he said these two bills are aimed at striking a balance between business facilitation and employee welfare.
     Besides, Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian introduced The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2025 which was unanimously passed by the members present.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)