Bal Sansad starts: Students embrace democracy in mock polls at Ludhiana’s government schools.

Ludhiana: Thousands of students across this city have begun contesting mock elections as part of a sweeping democratic initiative designed to transform govt schools into "centres of holistic development".The "Bal Sansad" (Student Parliament) programme, which deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain laucnhed on Saturday, follows a comprehensive training session for educators aimed at bringing grassroots governance into the classroom. Students at institutes like Govt Model School, Goh, and Govt Senior Secondary Smart School, Isru, are campaigning as of now, drafting manifestos, and designing party symbols to mirror real-world political processes.At PM Shri Govt Senior Secondary School in Ayali Khurd, candidates formed political parties using education-themed symbols such as pens, books, and geometry boxes. The campus was transformed by rallies and classroom presentations as students lobbied their peers for votes."Bal Sansad is a powerful platform to groom the next generation of responsible and informed citizens," Jain said. "Students learn not just from textbooks, but from lived democratic experience."The initiative aims to foster leadership, civic duty, and problem-solving skills. Once elected, the student parliamentarians will be empowered to identify and resolve issues within their schools and local communities.Other participating institutes include Govt High School, Mandiani, and the senior secondary schools in Rauni and Libra.