CM Yogi launches second phase of 'school chalo abhiyan' from Saharanpur, hails dip in dropout rate
Lucknow, July 1
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the second phase of the state-wide 'School Chalo Abhiyan-2026' from Saharanpur on Wednesday, emphasising how education remains the strongest cornerstone of nation-building.
The Chief Minister, addressing a public gathering, underscored the importance of quality education, explaining how it shapes good citizens, teachers, doctors, officials, and public representatives. He urged everyone to ensure enrolment of every child in school within the next 15 days and called upon teachers, civil society and public representatives to turn the campaign into a mass movement.
"Quality education not only instils good values and fosters self-reliance in children but also prepares them to play an effective role in the development of society and the country," CM Yogi said.
The Chief Minister also told the crowd that Uttar Pradesh has achieved remarkably good progress in the school dropout rate.
"The drop-out rate, which stood at 19-20 per cent in previous regimes, has now been reduced to 3-4 per cent because of improved amenities and services," he stated.
The 'School Chalo Abhiyan,' launched in 2017, seeks to bring every child into the mainstream of education. He attributed the campaign's success to the government's clear policy and firm resolve towards educational reform.
Highlighting the state govt's persistent efforts for wider enrolment of students, particularly from backward and marginalised classes, the CM informed that in 2017, only 36 per cent of schools under the Basic Education Council were equipped with basic amenities, which saw an enormous rise over the years.
"Most schools lacked fundamental facilities such as toilets, clean drinking water, furniture, libraries, kitchens, and boundary walls. To address these shortcomings, the state government launched 'Operation Kayakalp,' under which government schools underwent a comprehensive transformation with the cooperation of public representatives, the administration, and society," he said.
He stated that essential facilities-including separate toilets for boys and girls, clean drinking water, furniture, libraries, and proper arrangements for mid-day meals-are now being developed in schools. The government's goal is to provide a superior educational environment for every child. CM Yogi stated that a child deprived of education represents a loss not only to their family but to the entire society and nation. Therefore, ensuring every child attends school is a collective responsibility.
He mentioned that scholarships have been provided to approximately 23,000 differently-abled girls for the 2025-26 academic year.
The state government has already increased the honorarium for Shiksha Mitras (part-time teachers) from Rs 10,000 to Rs 18,000 and for instructors from Rs 9,000 to Rs 17,000.
The Chief Minister added that the host of part-time teachers, instructors, cooks, and those associated with the 'school chalo' programme will be secured with an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As a teacher in a government school in UP, I can confirm that there has been a visible change. Earlier, schools had no proper toilets or drinking water. Now at least basic facilities are there. Operation Kayakalp has really helped. But I wish they would also focus on teacher training and curriculum updates. More than infrastructure, we need quality teachers and updated syllabus. Still, happy to see the dropout rate reducing. Shiksha hi sabase badi takat hai! 📚
Good initiative but numbers thoda realistic hona chahiye. Dropout rate 19% se 3%? It seems too good to be true. Main apne gaon mein dekhta hoon, abhi bhi bahut bacche school chhod dete hain kyunki parents ko padhai se zyada kamai chahiye. Scholarship to 23,000 differently-abled girls ke liye achhi baat hai, lekin yeh coverage kaafi nahi hai. Har bachche tak pahunchne ke liye aur ground-level efforts chahiye. Baaki, direction sahi hai, execution pe focus karo.
Impressive to see how Uttar Pradesh is turning around its education system. The 'School Chalo Abhiyan' combined with 'Operation Kayakalp' seems like a holistic approach. Dropout rates dropping from nearly 20% to 3-4% is huge. Also, insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh for teachers and staff shows the government's care for grassroots workers. Hope other states also follow this model. Education truly is nation-building. 🌟
CM Yogi's focus on education is commendable, but let's not ignore the fact that many private schools still attract students due to perceived better quality. Government schools need to compete on quality, not just enrolment. Honorarium for Shiksha Mitras increased to Rs
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