• Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh virtually laid the foundation stone of Sardar Bahadur Amin Chand Soni Armed Forces Preparatory Institute, to be established at Hoshiarpur.
• The project, spread over 12.75 acres in Bajwara village, will be executed at Rs 27 crore and will be completed by the year-end.
• The institute would impart training to 270 candidates per year. The land has been gifted by Sardar Bahadur Amin Chand Soni Education Trust and Society, headed by Member of Parliament Ambika Soni.
• The Chief Minister said the institute would help the youth, who wish to join the armed forces. At a time, when women pilot officers were flying the Rafale and helicopters, and actively involved in every field of the armed forces, soon girls in India would be a part of the fighting forces like their counterparts in other countries, he said.
• Capt Amarinder Singh lauded the role of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Armed Forces Preparatory Institute at Mohali in training the youth to secure a permanent commission in the armed forces through the National Defence Academy or equivalent centres.
• Referred to Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute for Girls at Mohali, which imparts training to girls after Class XII for a career as commissioned officers, he said the institute had so far trained 75 cadets, of whom seven had been selected in the defence services.

8 courses a year to train 270 youths

• The institute will train the aspirants for induction into Armed Forces, keeping the entry at graduate level for CDSE/AFCAT
• It will run three courses in a year of three months’ duration with intake capacity of 40 candidates, thus training 120 candidates in a year under its Entrance Exam Training Wing
• Under another Service Selection Board Training Wing, the institute will train those who have received call letters for appearing in Service Selection Board
• The institute will run five courses in a year, each of eight weeks’ duration with course strength of 30 candidates, to train 150 candidates in a year