Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath leveled serious allegations against the state's former governments regarding the education and employment systems at the 'Panchayat Aajtak' forum held in Mathura. He claimed that before 2017, irregularities in cheating and jobs were prevalent across the state. At that time, recommendations were given more importance than merit, and religious dictates or sycophancy towards a single family were prioritized over discretion.
Criticizing the tenure of the previous government, CM Yogi stated that during that period, cheating was like a birthright, and malpractice in every job was common. Describing that era as 'a chaotic city, a foolish king,' he detailed the surrounding anarchy, but also mentioned that Uttar Pradesh has now moved beyond that situation. In the last nine and a half years, there has been no policy stagnation in the state, and investment decisions are being made rapidly.
CM Yogi highlighted that the condition of schools in Uttar Pradesh before 2017 was extremely deplorable. Some schools had dilapidated buildings, while others suffered from a shortage of teachers. Where teachers were present, necessary facilities were unavailable. The dropout rate for students had reached 19 to 20 percent at that time. He personally visited the state to assess the condition of Basic Education Council schools, where many children were forced to attend school without shoes or slippers and in torn clothes. These schools also lacked separate toilets and drinking water facilities for students.
To resolve this issue, he explained that the government launched the 'Operation Kayakalp' campaign in 2017. Under this initiative, basic amenities such as classrooms, toilets, drinking water, digital laboratories, smart classrooms, and furniture were improved in 1.36 lakh out of a total of 1.46 lakh schools under the Basic Education Council.
Yogi Adityanath also informed that the government is providing two uniforms, bags, books, shoes-socks, and sweaters to 1.60 crore children. As a result, the dropout rate has decreased from 19-20 percent to below three percent. The Chief Minister refuted allegations by the Congress and Samajwadi Party about closing schools, clarifying that schools were not closed but rather upgraded.
Citing the example of Kasturba Gandhi Schools, he mentioned that these schools previously operated from classes six to eight, but the government decided to extend them up to class 12 to provide opportunities for higher education to the daughters of poor families. Previously, this system was in 446 development blocks, whereas work has now begun to make Kasturba Gandhi Schools available in all 825 development blocks of the state. Additionally, he mentioned PM Shri Schools and CM Composite Schools, where a system is being developed to conduct studies from first to twelfth grade in a single campus in CM Composite Schools.
Under the heading 'No difference between Bismil and Bismillah Khan,' CM Yogi shared an incident involving a then-Education Minister of the SP government. He recounted that during the inauguration of a park named after the revolutionary Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil in Gorakhpur, the minister mistakenly identified him as the shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan. When he was given the correct information that he was the revolutionary Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, the minister retorted that he was mentioning Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil because he was a BJP supporter. Citing this incident, Yogi commented that it is easy to imagine what direction the schooling in Uttar Pradesh can take if a person cannot distinguish between the revolutionary Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil and the shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan.