Investing in Girls' Education Shapes UP's Future as School Dropouts Plunge Below 3%
Linking the sacred festival of Sharadiya Navratri to good governance and societal reform, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath declared that a healthy, educated, and self-reliant female population serves as the cornerstone of a secure present and an inspiring future for the nation. In a statement shared on social media platform X on Thursday, October 15, 2026—coinciding with the fifth day of Navratri dedicated to Maa Skandamata, the divine mother who embodies affection and universal nourishment—the Chief Minister emphasized that true development begins by honoring the strength and intellect of the state's daughters. Highlighting a visible shift in Uttar Pradesh’s developmental landscape since 2017, Adityanath noted that directing state resources toward female education is not merely a statutory obligation, but an essential investment in building self-confidence, economic resilience, and long-term prosperity.
From Neglect to Empowerment: Dismantling Pre-2017 Gaps in Maternal Care
Critiquing the governance models in place prior to 2017, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath pointed out that earlier administrations remained focused on nurturing personal political dynasties while turning a blind eye to the basic welfare of women and girls. For decades, maternal healthcare and female schooling in the state suffered from systemic neglect and corrupt practices, leaving public health centers deprived of life-saving medicines and severely weakening institutional delivery mechanisms, which led to alarming maternal and infant mortality rates. Over the past nine and a half years, however, the double-engine governance model has fundamentally transformed this scenario by establishing an unbroken protective safety net. This holistic welfare architecture now safeguards daughters throughout their lives, providing systematic healthcare support from infancy, ensuring equal access to quality education, and enabling dignified, safe motherhood.
Operation Kayakalp and Atal Schools: Slashing Dropouts from 20% to Under 3%
Detailing the structural turnaround achieved across Uttar Pradesh's basic education ecosystem, the Chief Minister underscored the success of 'Operation Kayakalp', which completely overhauled the physical infrastructure of government-run primary institutions. Basic amenities and foundational facilities across state schools have expanded from an inadequate 36 percent before 2017 to over 96 percent today, ensuring clean classrooms, reliable sanitation, and modern learning spaces. This large-scale modernization has triggered a sharp drop in student attrition, pushing the school dropout rate down from a concerning 20 percent to less than 3 percent. The government has further fortified these gains by launching state-of-the-art Atal Residential Schools to offer free, high-quality boarding education to the children of laborers and underserved communities, alongside upgrading Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas up to the 12th standard. Reaffirming his administration's forward-looking mission, Adityanath stressed that providing unhindered educational pathways to girls remains Uttar Pradesh’s greatest guarantee for lasting transformation.
