Chandigarh, March 14 — After missing two deadlines in December and February, the Chandigarh Health Education Centre (CHEC) is now expected to be operational by the end of March, ahead of the new academic session.
The first-of-its-kind initiative in a government school, CHEC is being set up at Government Model High School, Sector 22, in collaboration with the Chandigarh Rotary Club.
The centre will focus on health education for students in government schools, covering topics such as general health, oral health, nutrition, substance abuse prevention, pregnancy and STI prevention, and social and emotional well-being.
UT director of school education Harsuhinderpal Singh Brar attributed the delay to the procurement of exhibits.
“The exhibits have started arriving, and we are confident the centre will be ready by the end of the month,” he said. The education department must complete the project by the academic year’s end to submit a report to the central government.
Approved under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme 2024, the project initially received ₹50 lakh from the central government, with an additional ₹1.2 crore contingent on a senior officers’ evaluation of the completed centre.
Officials have also indicated the model could be replicated nationwide, making timely completion essential.
Project in Development Since 2017
The CHEC concept dates back to 2017 when Rotary International Chandigarh proposed its establishment.
Following approval from the UT administrator, Dr. Atul Sachdev, then head of general medicine at GMCH-32, and Dr. J.S. Thakur from Rotary Club visited health education centres in the U.S. and recommended a similar facility in Chandigarh based on the McMillan Center model.
Designed to educate at least 1.5 lakh government school students annually, the facility will feature six high-tech teaching rooms, each accommodating 75 students, along with a 150-seat auditorium.
Every student will visit the centre at least once a year. The Rotary Club will provide advanced exhibits, including holographic models and other technology, estimated at ₹1 crore.