Gangtok: In a significant move signalling Sikkim’s intensified commitment to youth-led development and innovative educational reforms, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) recently held a pivotal meeting with prominent educationist and social entrepreneur Kunzang Choeki Bhutia. The rendezvous, held shortly after Ms. Bhutia’s return from a strategic Mumbai visit spanning June 29 to July 5, underscored the state’s burgeoning emphasis on collaborative public-private partnerships.
During her productive sojourn in Mumbai, Ms. Choeki engaged in substantive discussions with Ms. Khrisha Shah Ambani, a figure widely recognised for her impactful initiatives in youth and women empowerment. Their deliberations primarily focused on sculpting sustainable Public-Private Partnership (PPP) frameworks across vital sectors such as education, women’s leadership, public health, and youth development. These models, as highlighted by Ms. Choeki, are meticulously designed to resonate with Sikkim’s distinctive socio-cultural fabric, ensuring localised efficacy and broader applicability.
Briefing Chief Minister Golay, Ms. Choeki articulated the immense potential inherent in forging enduring alliances with Mumbai-based institutions. She emphasised that these collaborations, imbued with the spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – the ancient Indian philosophy of “the world is one family” – could serve as a blueprint not just for Sikkim but also for other hill states and the entire Northeastern region, fostering a ripple effect of progress.
Chief Minister Golay lauded Ms. Choeki for her remarkable clarity of vision and her profound dedication to community upliftment. “Young people like Kunzang are not only thinking big but also thinking for others,” the Chief Minister remarked, commending her unique ability to seamlessly integrate local values with overarching national development objectives.
Ms. Choeki also provided the Chief Minister with an update on her ongoing work with the Chief Minister’s Mentorship Programme. This flagship initiative, a collaborative endeavour between the Education Department and Katalytic Charter Education Foundation, which Ms. Choeki spearheads, is currently providing invaluable mentorship to Class 10 students across all districts of Sikkim. The programme is meticulously designed to bolster academic readiness, cultivate leadership qualities, and hone critical thinking skills among the state’s young minds.
underscoring the critical importance of such endeavours, CM Golay reiterated his government’s unwavering conviction that strategic investments in youth and education are paramount for sculpting a self-reliant and progressive Sikkim. “When young minds take charge with responsibility and purpose, the future becomes brighter and more secure,” he asserted, painting a vivid picture of a promising tomorrow. The constructive meeting served as a powerful testament to a shared vision for inclusive development, with dynamic young changemakers like Kunzang Choeki Bhutia poised to play an instrumental role in shaping the future trajectory of Sikkim and, by extension, the larger Northeast.
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