After a wave of student protests across Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has called for a thorough overhaul of the state's residential schools. The directive aims to improve school operations, accelerate teacher recruitment, and address student grievances highlighted on social media platforms. This move comes as students from multiple districts voiced concerns about inadequate facilities and staff shortages.
Why Students Protested Across Uttar Pradesh
In recent weeks, students from government-run residential schools in cities including Lucknow, Kannauj, Unnao, Fatehpur, Hamirpur, Mahoba, and Azamgarh staged protests demanding better basic amenities and infrastructure. These demonstrations, dubbed the ‘Gen Alpha Protests,’ involved students blocking roads and approaching district collectorates to press for improvements. Key issues raised included the lack of teachers, poor sanitation, insufficient drinking water, and substandard mid-day meals.
Steps Ordered to Improve Residential Schools
In response, the state government organized a review meeting led by CM Yogi Adityanath with officials from the social welfare and education departments. Several measures were outlined:
- A 14-point checklist was issued to inspect schools for essential facilities such as clean drinking water, functional toilets, electricity, cleanliness, food quality, and student safety.
- Officials were instructed to monitor social media complaints closely and verify their authenticity to address issues promptly.
- Teacher recruitment processes are to be expedited to fill vacant posts and ensure adequate staff for academic needs.
- Special attention is being given to Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, with added checks for security, presence of women guards, and hygienic toilets.
- Development department teams have been tasked with inspecting school premises and rectifying any deficiencies locally.
- Efforts are underway to improve mid-day meals under the PM Poshan scheme, following viral videos showing poor food quality.
Expanding Support for Competitive Exam Preparation and Scholarships
The Chief Minister also reviewed the Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Yojana, a scheme providing coaching for competitive exams like UPSC, PCS, NEET, JEE, and NDA/CDS. The program currently operates through 163 centers across all 75 districts, with nearly 24,000 students enrolled and over 1,700 teachers involved. CM Adityanath emphasized expanding this initiative to reach more students.
Regarding scholarships, the application portal for pre-matric and post-matric schemes will reopen on September 1 to accommodate around 3.16 lakh students who missed out earlier. The government aims to disburse scholarship funds by October 2, ensuring timely financial support. Beneficiaries include students from government, aided, and private institutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What triggered the recent student protests in Uttar Pradesh?
A: Students protested due to inadequate facilities, teacher shortages, poor sanitation, and low-quality mid-day meals in government residential schools across several districts.
Q: What is the 14-point checklist issued by the UP government?
A: The checklist covers essential school facilities such as clean drinking water, functional toilets, electricity, cleanliness, food quality, safety, teacher attendance, and uninterrupted teaching activities.
Q: How is the government supporting students preparing for competitive exams?
A: Through the Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Yojana, which offers coaching at 163 centers statewide, the government provides expert guidance to thousands of students preparing for exams like UPSC, NEET, and JEE.
