Chandigarh, July 16– Haryana Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal here today, approved the proposal of the Sports and Youth Affairs Department to enact Sports University of Haryana Bill for the establishment of Sports University in the state.

The Sports University of Haryana will be the first full-fledged sports university of international standards in the State. A void exists in the sports environment in various areas, such as, sports science, sports technology, sports management, high performance training. Therefore, it has been decided to establish the Sports University of Haryana, which is expected to fill this void with its exclusive focus on promotion of sports education in the areas of sports sciences sports technology, sports management, and research and training in various areas related to sports.

The focus of the University will be on multi-disciplinary studies with stress on applicability based on the latest researches in sports sciences, sports medicine and sports technology. The University is also empowered to establish Outlying Campuses. Apart from academic programmes and research, the University and its Outlying Campuses will also impart training to elite athletes, sports officials, referees and umpires and evolve as centre of excellence in various disciplines of sports.

Chandigarh, July 16 – Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal said that besides planting 20 lakh saplings this year, efforts would be made to ensure their survival. He also called upon the people to plant at least one plant after the name of great personalities, grandparents, parents, teachers and take pledge for their survival.

The Chief Minister was speaking in the State-Level Paudhgiri program organized jointly by Forests Department and District at Kurukshetra today. Earlier, the Chief Minister, Member of Parliament, Mr. Nayab Singh Saini, MLA, Mr. Subhash Sudha, MLA, Dr. Pawan Saini and other dignitaries distributed saplings to school students besides the Chief Minister gave the message of Paudhgiri to about 2,000 students and asked them to take resolve to protect the saplings for three years after planting them. Later, the Chief Minister flagged off the ‘Paudhgiri Chetna Rally’. Under this rally, the target of planting 90,000 plants in district Kurukshetra will be completed through school students.

He said that last year, 24 lakh saplings were planted by the children studying in classes 6th to 12th under Paudhgiri program, but only 2.5 lakh plants could survive. In this season, the target has been fixed of planting 20 lakhs saplings in the Education Department and local office premises in the state.

The Chief Minister urged all the schoolchildren to take part in the plantation program. This program will be as exciting as games for children, and they will get its result in a few years.

Member of Parliament, Mr. Nayab Singh Saini said that the Chief Minister has taken a commendable step by starting the Paudhgiri Program from Kurukshetra. Planting maximum trees will help in maintaining the environment and it will also improve the depleting ground water level. Therefore, also children should plant more trees and ensure their survival.

MLA, Mr. Subhash Sudha and MLA Dr. Pawan Saini also spoke on this occasion.