Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, speaking from the land of Baba Vishwanath during the month of Ashadha, announced a series of major welfare measures for teachers, non-teaching staff, their dependents, children, contractual employees, and other personnel associated with the education sector.
Permanent teachers and employees with a salary exceeding Rs 10,000 will receive a Group Term Insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh. The package includes a Personal Accident Cover of Rs 1 crore, a Permanent Disability Cover of Rs 1 crore, an Air Accident Insurance Cover of Rs 1.6 crore, and add-on benefits for children’s education and daughters’ marriages in the event of any untoward incident.
The Chief Minister also appealed to teachers, saying, “Create a disciplined environment and shape children through hard work and affection. If the future of the country is bright, every citizen’s future will also be bright. The school environment should be clean, beautiful, disciplined, and filled with spiritual radiance. You take care of the children, and the Government will take care of you. Every child should attend school. This is the responsibility of citizens, teachers, Shiksha Mitras, and instructors.”
The Chief Minister also urged other government departments and the private sector to provide social security benefits to their employees.
On Wednesday, CM Yogi launched the Mukhyamantri Shikshak Cashless Chikitsa Yojana, providing health security to 12 lakh teachers, non-teaching employees, and their dependents. He also transferred Rs 1,320 crore to the bank accounts of parents of 1.10 crore students at the rate of Rs 1,200 per student for uniforms, shoes, socks, sweaters, school bags, and stationery. An MoU was also signed with the State Bank of India to provide social security cover to 10 lakh teachers and contractual employees. The programme was organised at 404 locations across the state.
Referring to the financial assistance provided for two sets of uniforms, school bags, books, sweaters, shoes, socks, and other essentials, CM Yogi told teachers, “It is your responsibility to ensure that schools look clean and pleasant. To maintain discipline, children should come to school wearing the prescribed uniform, shoes, socks, and sweaters during winter. Yesterday, in some places, small children were seen bathing in the rain while wearing their uniforms. Children are innocent. It is the duty and national responsibility of teachers to guide them on the right path. Teachers should advise children to wear each uniform for three days.”
He continued, “If it becomes dirty, they should wash it. They should wear different clothes while playing and should not continue wearing their school shoes and socks after returning home. If you educate them about school discipline and good daily habits, it will inspire children and also help take the success of the Swachh Bharat Mission to greater heights.”
The Chief Minister assured that no child would be deprived of these benefits, even after fresh admissions.
He said, “The Basic and Secondary Education Departments have signed an MoU with the State Bank of India to provide social security guarantees to every teacher, Shiksha Mitra, and instructor. Uttar Pradesh is the first state to implement this. Permanent teachers and employees with a salary exceeding Rs 10,000 will receive a Group Term Insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh, which includes a Personal Accident Cover of Rs 1 crore, a Permanent Disability Cover of Rs 1 crore, an Air Accident Insurance Cover of Rs 1.6 crore, and add-on benefits for children’s education and daughters’ marriages in case of any untoward incident.”
He further added that contractual employees earning more than Rs 10,000 per month will receive Personal Accident Insurance Cover ranging from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 80 lakh, insurance cover ranging from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 30 lakh in the event of permanent or partial disability, Air Accident Insurance Cover ranging from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 80 lakh, and add-on benefits for children’s education and daughters’ marriages in the event of any untoward incident. Employees with a net monthly salary below Rs 10,000 will receive an insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh through a zero-balance ATM card or a Personal Accident Policy. These benefits will also extend to low-salaried employees. The State Government will spend Rs 450 crore annually on the cashless healthcare facility.
The Chief Minister said that Uttar Pradesh has always possessed immense potential. “At one time, teachers from Uttar Pradesh served in many states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Once, when I asked Union Minister Kiren Rijiju why everyone there spoke such good Hindi, he told me that most of their teachers had come from Uttar Pradesh. During a visit to Madhya Pradesh, I found that people from districts such as Aligarh, Etah, Kasganj, Etawah, Hathras, Agra, Firozabad, Mathura, and Mainpuri were working there. When I interacted with them, I learned that their ancestors had gone there as teachers. However, there also came a time when some people destroyed Uttar Pradesh’s education system for their personal interests.”
He said, “Education is the foundation of society. Without it, nothing is possible. Prime Minister Modi has said that education will be the foundation for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat. For this, he implemented the National Education Policy based on India’s traditions. It was the neglect of education that turned Uttar Pradesh into a BIMARU state. Nine years ago, people seeking jobs from Uttar Pradesh were looked down upon outside the state, but due to the efforts of the double-engine Government, that identity crisis no longer exists. Investment in education never goes to waste. As education has improved, Uttar Pradesh is now progressing rapidly.”
The Chief Minister added, “Today, Uttar Pradesh has a cheating-free education system, but earlier the situation was very different. Secondary education examinations used to continue for two to three months, and the results would take another two to three months.”
“Half the year was wasted, and the remaining time would pass in festivals and other activities. When would students study? Now, examinations are completed within 14 days and the results are declared within the next 15 days. Everything is completed within a month. Around 56 lakh students appear in these examinations.”
He remarked, “Earlier, people from Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and other states used to come to Ballia, Ghazipur, Mau, and Azamgarh to take examinations. It made us realise that something was seriously wrong. We shut down all such centres that were playing with the future of the youth of Uttar Pradesh and other states.”
Taking a dig at the opposition, the Chief Minister said, “A leader from Uttar Pradesh once said that cheating is our birthright. But no one has the right to play with the future and integrity of the nation. Acharya Chanakya, Dr. Radhakrishnan, and Madan Mohan Malaviya are our ideals. If there is a teacher like Chanakya, the nation can never become impoverished, and foreign powers will never dare cast an evil eye on it.”
Encouraging teachers, the Chief Minister said, “You have worked very hard over the past nine years. The efforts made under schemes such as Operation Kayakalp, Project Alankar, and NIPUN Bharat are commendable. Schools are temples for us. If the schools where you studied earlier lacked facilities, it is now your responsibility to contribute in every possible way towards their progress.”
Referring to older educational institutions, the Chief Minister said that Government Inter Colleges for boys and girls, government-aided schools run by private managements, and similar institutions have shaped generations.
At one time, recommendations were required to secure admission to these institutions, but later they deteriorated significantly. There was no one to look after them. Even then, teachers and principals never lost courage and continued working with dedication. Over time, due to inadequate government support, many of these schools and colleges became dilapidated.
He added, “Through Project Alankar, the Board of Secondary Education has provided funds to nearly 1,000 schools, resulting in the construction of modern buildings, quality furniture, well-equipped laboratories, digital libraries, and other facilities. It has also been our responsibility to strengthen the institutions that have shaped generations.”