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Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, launched the ‘School Chalo Abhiyan’ on Monday, with the goal of achieving 100% enrolment in primary and upper primary schools across the state. “We have to give special emphasis on basic education. The campaign is being launched after two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It may happen that the children, who did not go to school, might be feeling lazy to return. But we have to ensure that no child is left out and all should be admitted to schools,” Adityanath said while addressing the gathering. According to him, 1.34 crore students were enrolled in basic education schools in 2017, and the scenario was “awavastha aur arajakta” (mismanagement and anarchy). The chief minister stated that the lack of basic amenities such as mid-day meals, toilets, drinking water, furniture, and smart classes “increased the dropout rate more than admissions.” According to Adityanath, the number of students in schools climbed to 1.80 crore in three years (till 2019), and students received free books, two uniform sets, shoes, socks, and sweaters as a result of the state government’s efforts. He urged everyone, including officials and public representatives, to join ‘Operation Kayakalp,’ which aims to give schools a facelift, and to adopt a school to offer basic facilities. He said that all activities had been halted owing to the coronavirus shutdown in 2020, which he said had primarily affected schools. “Now all activities have resumed. The Covid management of country was hailed worldwide. We have administered over 30 crore vaccines. We are providing free tablets and smartphones to students,” the chief minister said, adding that education was the only way to bring about change in society and strengthen the country. He stated that the initiative will last for the next month, with the goal of reuniting every student with their school. According to an official statement issued on Sunday, the chief minister had previously told officials that districts with low literacy rates should be prioritised, and primary schools in the state should be equipped with improved facilities. According to the statement, the ‘School Chalo Abhiyan’ will begin in Shravasti district, which has the lowest literacy rate in the state, followed by Bahraich, Balrampur, Badaun, and Rampur. All government schools must also provide students with essential amenities such as toilets, drinking water, furniture, and smart classes, according to Adityanath. Under the ‘Operation Kayalalp,’ departmental authorities must launch a campaign to engage with alumni (of government schools) and private enterprises to improve state-run schools, he said. The basic education department has also been given orders to prepare for the ‘Abhiyan’ and ensure that teachers are deployed in all state-run schools, according to Adityanath. Source: PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged society on Thursday to treat sons and daughters equally and to treat them as equals, claiming that if a society fails to recognise girls’ skills, it will never grow. PM Modi made these statements while responding to a question during a “Pariksha Pe Charcha” interaction with students, noting that things have evolved since a time when prejudice between males and girls was evident. In terms of new students, girls are expected to outnumber boys, he said, adding that every Indian may now be proud of the spirit and aspirations of girls. “Now, girls have become a big asset and strength for every family. The more this change occurs, the better it is,” he said. He noted that there was a time when many parents believed that their limited resources should be spent on sons so that they can take care of them later because they expected their daughters to not work and instead settle down in their in-laws’ house, but that while such a mindset still exists in some places, things have largely changed. In society, sons and daughters should be treated equally. “It’s a requirement of this era.” It is a requirement of every era,” the prime minister added, citing prominent female figures such as Ahilya Bai and Lakshmi Bai for their contributions to respective areas. He believes that equal opportunities for girls should be institutionalised, noting that they thrive in a variety of professions, from sports to science. He says that there are more women in parliament now than ever before, and that their numbers are growing in the police and security forces. He also says that girls consistently outperform boys in board exams. While women hold half of the elected panchayat seats in Gujarat, they have also been winning general seats, demonstrating society’s faith in their talents, he said. Modi also mentioned the enormous number of women working in the nursing and teaching areas, and joked that males might stage a rally demanding that their quotas be fixed. “If boys and girls are given an equal opportunity, then the latter may do better,” he said. According to the prime minister, he has witnessed daughters who do not marry in order to care for their parents, as well as parents who live in old age homes despite their sons leading a wonderful life away from them. Source: PTI