Amit Shah Honors UP's Stars: Astronaut, YouTuber Among UP Gaurav Awardees

The felicitation ceremony took place on the occasion of Uttar Pradesh Day, under which the awardees included Group Captain and astronaut Subhanshu Shukla, educational YouTuber Alakh Pandey, Lakshmi Arya and Agriculture Scientist Sudhanshu Singh.

Expressing his gratitude, Group Captain Subhanshu Shukla said the programme was special as people from diverse disciplines were invited and honoured.

"Many congratulations from my side. I myself am from Lucknow, and it feels very good to return because it feels like coming back home. But today's program felt special to me because people from many different disciplines and fields were invited and honoured. I feel that seeing this gives encouragement to children," Shubhanshu Shukla told reporters.

Meanwhile, education YouTuber Alakh Pandey said the recognition was deeply emotional for him. He also credited his students for his success, asserting that such recognition wouldn't matter to him if their love and support were to end.

"Yes, it feels very good it's a wonderful feeling to receive recognition at this level. From the beginning till now, the one thing that has always stayed with me is the love of children. Other people changed over time, but even today, whatever I am is because of children. The place where I am standing today and the fact that you are asking me questions is because of children. From the beginning until now, everything has been good because of their love. The day that love ends, no award will matter to me," Alakh Pandey told ANI.

Lakshmi Arya, who was honoured for her contribution to education and innovation, expressed pride over the recognition. "This is a matter of pride for me that Union Home Minister Amit Shah honoured me with the award," she told ANI.

Agricultural scientist Sudhanshu Singh also expressed joy at the occasion, adding that receiving recognition for work done throughout one's life is a "heartening experience".

"It is certainly a very joyful experience. You can understand that receiving the highest honour of the state in the presence of Amit Shah and Yogi ji, and getting recognition for the work we have done throughout our life, is a very heartening experience," Singh told ANI.

Uttar Pradesh Day is observed on January 24 to mark the renaming of the erstwhile United Provinces as Uttar Pradesh in 1950, two days before the adoption of the Indian Constitution. The state has since played a central role in the country's political, cultural, and social life.

Blessed by sacred rivers such as the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saryu, Uttar Pradesh is home to some of India's most important religious and historical centres. Cities such as Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mathura, Vrindavan, Prayagraj, Sarnath, and Kushinagar attract millions of pilgrims and tourists each year.

Varanasi, situated on the banks of the Ganga, is considered one of the world's oldest living cities and houses the revered Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Sarnath holds special significance as the place where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon.

Uttar Pradesh has also contributed to India's industrial growth, with Kanpur emerging as a major industrial hub. In November 2000, the hill state of Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh, further shaping the region's administrative landscape.

Leaders across the political spectrum marked the occasion by highlighting Uttar Pradesh's historical legacy and its evolving role in India's development journey.

- ANI