Agartala, Feb 4 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday urged students to embrace ethics and moral values alongside academic learning, stressing that education should be used for the welfare of society and the nation.

“Only when education is guided by values can students develop into responsible and humane citizens,” the Chief Minister said while inaugurating the newly constructed two-storey building of P.M.-SHRI Hajibari Class XII School in the Fatikroy Assembly constituency.

During the visit, Saha also laid the foundation stone for a new bridge between Saidarpar and Sardapalli of Kumarghat over the Manu River, to be built for Rs 1.26 crore, and inaugurated the Sixth Milan Mela-2026 on the school premises.

Saha said that upon completion, the bridge would directly benefit nearly 6,000 to 7,000 people in the area, particularly farmers, who would be able to transport their produce easily to the Kumarghat market.

“The bridge will also improve access to the Kumarghat Railway Station, significantly enhancing connectivity for the local population,” he said.

Highlighting improvements in women’s safety, the Chief Minister said Tripura has witnessed a significant decline in crime rates, enabling women to move freely and fearlessly, even at night.

“This is real development,” Saha said.

He further said that the state government is integrating technology into the education system and has introduced initiatives such as Personalized Adaptive Learning (PAL) to make education more accessible and student-centric under the National Education Policy.

“Education is a journey from darkness to light. We want healthy competition among schools. Tripura has made substantial progress in higher education infrastructure with the presence of both government and private universities,” he said.

Saha added that seats in medical colleges have been increased, another medical college is coming up in Ambassa, and institutions such as a Forensic University and a Law University have been established, reducing the need for students to pursue higher education outside the state.

“Along with modernising the education system, we are committed to instilling moral values among students,” he said.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Scheduled Caste Welfare Minister Sudhangshu Das, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Tinku Roy, Unakoti Zila Parishad President Amalendu Das, District Magistrate Tamal Majumdar, Superintendent of Police Sudambika R., Kumarghat Panchayat Samiti Chairman Sumati Das, and other officials.

–IANS

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