Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan along with Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath launched PM SHRI Schools in Uttar Pradesh, in Lucknow today. Other dignitaries including Member of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Shri Surya Pratap Shahi; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Primary Education, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Sandeep Singh; Minister of State (Independent charge) of Secondary Education, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Smt. Gulab Devi; Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy, Shri Sanjay Kumar; Additional Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Shri Vipin Kumar and other officials were present at the event. Participants from 928 locations also joined the event virtually. The dignitaries visited an exhibition set up by the school children.

While addressing the event, Shri Pradhan expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for improving the infrastructure of the schools in order to provide world-class education and making it one of the major agendas of the government. The upgradation and modernization of more than 1000 schools under PM-SHRI in the State is a step in that direction, he added.

Shri Pradhan also commended the efforts of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for implementing the recommendations of NEP 2020 in the state in last three years. He highlighted that in the first phase, 928 government schools of Uttar Pradesh are being covered under the PM SHRI scheme which include 81 Kendriya/Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas. Shri Pradhan also mentioned that NEP 2020, as a philosophical document, has the potential to lead the world. 

The Minister also added that out of 26 crore students of the country, nearly 20% come from the State and therefore they will be important for the realisation of the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047. He also highlighted how students from the State’s Navodaya Vidyala have succeeded in competitive entrance examination like IIT, Government Medical Colleges, NIT, etc. without any coaching. He commended the State’s effort in taking help from the Centre for Creative Learning at IIT Gandhinagar, Gujarat in teaching science to the students of Kasturba Gandhi Valika Vidyalayas in Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing the event, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath, mentioned that 1753 schools have been selected to be upgraded as PM SHRI Schools throughout the state. Improvements in infrastructure such as Baalvatika, smart classrooms, science laboratories, digital libraries and sports facilities, will be introduced in the schools, resulting in the development of integrated campuses for providing holistic school education.

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SS/AK