A fire can last minutes. The damage can last much longer. For someone who suffers serious burns, getting out of the flames is only the beginning. There can be repeated dressings, procedures, reconstruction and months of recovery. Punjab’s latest burns data under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) puts a number on that difficult journey. 265 treatments worth ₹1.39 crore were provided.

Twenty-four-year-old Arjun Kumar was injured when a short circuit triggered a fire at his home. He was taken to Bathinda for treatment worth nearly ₹50,000, provided cashlessly under the scheme. “Everything happened so fast,” he recalled. Once he knew the treatment would be cashless, he said, he could concentrate on healing rather than hospital expenses.

As per data received from the State Health Agency (SHA), Punjab, under Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, men aged 31 to 45 years accounted for 61 treatments, the highest among the groups, with expenditure of ₹31.82 lakh. Boys aged 0 to 18 years recorded 39 treatments, while girls in the same age group accounted for 27.

Among women, the highest numbers were recorded in the 19-30 age group, with 26 treatments, followed by 21 treatments among women aged 31-45. In simple terms, much of the treatment was on children, young adults and working-age people.

The Punjab figures also echo what medical research has found about the longer shadow of burn injuries. As per PubMed, a study of 892 burn patients at a tertiary hospital in Punjab found that 79 per cent of patients were between 15 and 45 years old, showing how heavily burns can affect people in their working years. The study also highlighted the need for accessible and affordable burn care in India.

On this, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “A burn injury does not end when the flames are put out. For many patients, recovery can mean repeated procedures, rehabilitation and long-term care. Our priority is to ensure that financial hardship does not become another injury for these families. Under Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, patients should be able to focus on healing, recovery and rebuilding their lives, rather than worrying about how they will pay for treatment.”

One of the most revealing figures is post-burn contracture, which accounted for 75 treatments and ₹38.90 lakh in expenditure.

Post-burn contracture can occur when scar tissue tightens after a burn injury, restricting movement and making even ordinary actions difficult. In this way, the impact of a burn can extend long after the skin itself has healed.

Other procedures included treatment for total body surface area burns, tissue expanders, electrical and chemical burns, antibiotic dressings, skin flaps, debridement and ear/nose reconstruction. These are not cosmetic concerns. For some patients, they are about regaining movement, function and confidence.

Among the districts listed, Bathinda reported the highest number of beneficiaries, with 57 people receiving 63 treatments. The treatment expenditure there stood at ₹33.51 lakh. Faridkot followed with 40 beneficiaries, while Patiala recorded 39. At the other end were Rupnagar, S.A.S. Nagar and Fatehgarh Sahib, with one beneficiary each.

Dr Balbir Singh added that the treatment data highlights the importance of providing timely and comprehensive care to burn patients, particularly children, young adults and working-age people who form a significant share of the beneficiaries. “A burn can change a person’s life in seconds, but recovery often takes much longer. For a burn victim, cashless treatment can therefore mean something very practical; when the fire is finally out, the family does not have to face another fire, that is, the hospital bill,” he said.

In a significant step to strengthen its fight against drug abuse and to promote mental wellbeing of the students, the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government began an extensive teachers’ awareness and capacity-building programme across 12 districts under its flagship anti-drug campaign, ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’, this past week.

The objective of the initiative is to equip more than 21,850 teachers with the capacity and practical skills needed to identify early signs of mental health concerns and drug abuse among students and to intervene in time. The drive was kicked off in Fazilka and Tarn Taran on Monday, where over 800 teachers participated in the workshops last week.

The programme follows from the success of sensitisation programmes of the government in schools. Earlier in January this year, a training programme was carried out for Principals and Headmasters of Senior Secondary and High Schools across nine districts. The training focused on border districts of the state which are especially vulnerable to the menace of substance use.

Further, a pilot teacher training programme was conducted in Amritsar, in which more than 2,800 teachers participated. Over 75% of participants reported feeling inspired to contribute toward creating a healthier school environment. Based on the successes of these initiatives, the Bhagwant Mann government has now launched a phased expansion of the training module starting with Fazilka, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Faridkot, Mohali, Ropar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana and Patiala.

Teachers are often the first to notice when a student is in distress, yet such behaviour is frequently mistaken for indiscipline rather than recognised as a health concern. With rising anxiety, stress and substance use among adolescents, school-based prevention offers a scalable and sustainable route to early identification and timely support. The teacher sensitisation builds on the sensitisation of Heads of Schools to institutionalise a whole-school approach to student wellbeing.

On this, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said, “Every child who slips into the darkness of drugs is a child we could have reached earlier. Our teachers spend more time with our children than most; they notice the silences, the absences, the changes no one else sees. The training module is so designed that the teachers have a better idea of adolescent issues, their mental health and emotional wellbeing. The teachers would also be made aware of the risks associated with drug abuse. The training will enable them to provide support as and when necessary. They will learn to recognise the early signs of distress and drug vulnerability, to respond with compassion instead of punishment, and to connect struggling students to help before it is too late. No child in Punjab should suffer in silence or be met with stigma, and under the Yudh Nashean Virudh campaign, we are determined that they will be met with care and support.”

This is a massive cross-departmental undertaking, with the Directorate of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) ensuring implementation in conjunction with the Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development. The state’s Data Intelligence and Technical Support Unit (DITSU), which is leading a comprehensive response against substance use, will provide the implementation support, develop training material and ensure quality assurance throughout the campaign. Nodal Officers have been identified at the district level to ensure all senior secondary and high school teachers are able to participate in and benefit from the sessions. The sessions are being executed with the support of Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA) and National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR).

The one-day awareness-cum-capacity-building sessions will be conducted in over 500 batches across the 12 districts in a phased manner starting from August 2026, and will be delivered by expert resource persons through a psychosocial lens to the issue of substance use. To ensure that the learnings translate into classroom practice, every teacher will take a pledge to be a sentry between their students and drugs and conduct activities with students in the weeks following the training. The programme’s reach and effectiveness will be tracked through participant feedback and a structured monitoring framework.

Putting an end to arbitrary fee hikes by private schools, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Monday unanimously passed by voice vote the Punjab Regulation Of Fees Of Un-Aided Educational Institutions (Amendment) Bill, 2026, paving the way for stronger protection of students and parents against excessive and opaque fee collection.

Under this legislation, private schools will not be allowed to increase fees by more than 5% in a new academic session, while every amount collected from parents under any head will be treated as fee and brought under regulation. The Punjab Government will also conduct forensic audits of private schools to identify excess collections and ensure that the additional amount is refunded to parents, with violations attracting fines of ₹50,000 for the first offence, ₹1 lakh for the second and cancellation of affiliation for the third.

Taking aim at the previous Congress government, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that during Covid, when schools were shut and vehicles were not operating, parents were still forced to pay transport fees, making it clear that such exploitation would no longer be allowed in Punjab. The Chief Minister said his government will neither allow education to become a business nor let education mafias flourish in the state.

Winding up debate on the bill, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Money can be usurped by people like Vijay Malya but education cannot be snatched away from anyone. Earlier there was a sharp divide in the books, curriculum and teachers of the government and private schools. These schools were relegated to mid day meal centres in the state but these schools have been transformed now by the state government.”

Calling the bill important for the future of the state and its students, the Chief Minister said, “The bill is aimed at giving major relief to the students and their parents. Unfortunately, under the previous regimes, the private institutes had forced the students and their parents to give huge fees to them thereby jeopardizing the entire education system. As per the guidelines of the Apex Court, the educational institutes cannot mint money in the name of education by charging the fees in multiple accounts. Forensic audit will be conducted to ascertain the fee collected by these institutes in any mode.”

He said, “The bill caps annual fee hikes at 5% and any increase beyond it shall require prior approval of the regulatory body. Further, the private schools that have increased fees by more than 15% in aggregate over the last three years shall be required to refund the excess amount collected from parents. The move will regulate private school fees, enforce transparency and accountability and protect over 32 lakh students and their families from unjustified financial burden.”

CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “It marks a decisive step by the Punjab Government to curb profiteering in the education sector and ensure that private schools function in the interest of students and parents rather than commercial gain. Education is a noble and sacred endeavour and it is a public good, not a commercial enterprise to be exploited for profit. Ensuring access to quality education for each student of the state is the topmost priority of the Punjab government.”

The Chief Minister stated, “More than 32 lakh students are currently enrolled in nearly 7,800 private schools across Punjab and the bill is aimed at protecting their interests. Students and their families will receive robust protection and safeguards against arbitrary fee increases, alongside complete transparency in the operation of these institutions. Punjab has surpassed Kerala in the field of education due to the concerted efforts of the state government.”

He said, “With this historic decision, if any private school violates the Act then they will have to submit a fine of ₹50,000 on first violation and ₹1 lakh on second violation. Third violation will lead to cancellation of affiliation of school along with other harsh actions to safeguard the interests of the students. Any penny being given by the parents will be considered as a fee and any extra fee charged in three years will be given back to people.”

CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Our government has already broken the backbone of every unholy nexus in the state and they will not allow the Education mafia to mushroom up in the state. All charges collected from students, including transportation, building fund and other miscellaneous fees, will be treated as part of the tuition fee for the purpose of regulation. The state government will not allow education to become a commercial enterprise and a District Regulatory Committee, headed by the Deputy Commissioner, will examine and regulate all fee hike proposals.”

The Chief Minister noted, “During the Covid era when Congress was in power, parents were forced to pay transport fees despite the fact that no school was open and no vehicle plied. This bill is imperative for the well being of the students and to safeguard the interests of their parents, who should not be treated as raw material for minting money. The efforts of the state government have already borne fruit when in 2026 NEET exam as many as 882 students cleared the exam whereas in 2021 a mere 80 students were able to do so.”