Chandigarh, March 8 -- In a push toward educational excellence and administrative reform, the Punjab cabinet, led by chief minister Bhagwant Mann, on Saturday approved the establishment of the Sri Guru Teg Bahadur World Class University at Sri Anandpur Sahib. The decision was among a series of key policies cleared by the council of ministers, including the Industrial and Business Development Policy-2026 and a recruitment drive to fill 1,158 posts of assistant professors and librarians in government colleges. Briefing the media, finance minister Harpal Cheema and education minister Harjot Singh Bains said that a draft Bill for the new university will soon be tabled in the Vidhan Sabha. In a move to address the shortage of faculty in higher education, the cabinet gave the green light to recruit 1,091 assistant professors and 67 librarians through the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC). To ensure fairness, the government will provide a one-time age relaxation for candidates who had applied under the previous 2021 advertisement. The cabinet also streamlined the sports quota for government jobs and admissions. Under the new criteria, 75% weightage will be given to sporting achievements, while the remaining 25% will be determined by entrance test performance. In a humanitarian gesture, the cabinet approved an ex-gratia grant of Rs.1 crore for the family of Punjab home guard Ashok Kumar, who recently laid down his life on duty in Gurdaspur. Furthermore, the state amended the Punjab Civil Services Rules to include dependent disabled siblings under the definition of family for pension benefits, ensuring a safety net for vulnerable family members of government employees. In the healthcare sector, the cabinet approved an amendment to the Technical Service Rules (2016), making diploma in pharmacy holders eligible for recruitment as pharmacists. The cabinet approved the Punjab Prisons and Correctional Services Bill, 2026. This legislation will replace the archaic Prisons Act of 1894, focusing on advanced surveillance technology and correctional reforms. On the industrial front, the cabinet approved a world-class MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) project. To attract investors, the government has fixed applicable charges for MICE projects at 50% of standard commercial rates. Several decisions focused on urban planning and transparency: Medicity policy: Amendments will now allow medical sites to be disposed of via e-auction to ensure transparency, though land use remains strictly for hospital purposes. Education plots: Following recommendations from the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), GMADA will implement new technical eligibility criteria for allotting school sites in Mohali and New Chandigarh to ensure only genuine educational groups participate. Property rationalisation: The cabinet approved the revision of property base prices for GLADA (Ludhiana) based on independent valuation reports to streamline future e-auctions....