Raksha Bandhan: UP Girls Tie Rakhi To CM Yogi Adityanath, Discuss Education & Digital Challenges
· Free Press Journal
Lucknow, August 28: When the daughters of Uttar Pradesh were given a platform, their emotions found expression in words. In front of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the girls expressed their heartfelt feelings with sincerity, which the Chief Minister listened to with a smile and great enthusiasm. He interacted with the girls, blessed them for a successful life and assured them that the government would stand with them at every step.
On Raksha Bandhan, schoolgirls applied tilak to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and tied rakhi on his wrist. The Chief Minister presented the girls with chocolates and ODOP bags as gifts. At the request of one student, the Chief Minister also wrote a message in her pocket diary. Interacting with the students, the Chief Minister said that the scene witnessed here today reflects the transformation that has taken place in Uttar Pradesh.
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He states, before 2017, daughters could neither meet the Chief Minister nor interact with him directly in such a safe and free environment. Today, a large number of girls are reaching the Chief Minister's residence and, without any fear, asking questions, interacting and sharing their experiences. Today, there is neither a fear of insecurity nor any fear of protocol.
CM Yogi said, "Before 2017, the biggest challenge was that girls were unable to reach school. Many parents would discontinue their daughters' education or were forced to keep them in hostels in other states, far from home. At a time when a girl should receive the greatest protection from her parents, staying away from them became a compulsion. Today, circumstances have changed and girls are receiving education in a safe environment."
The Chief Minister further informed, "The state government has systematically ensured arrangements for girls from their birth through their graduation-level education. Assistance is being provided to girls through the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana. When they reach marriageable age, assistance is made available through the Mukhyamantri Samuhik Vivah Yojana. Scholarships have been arranged for girls studying in schools and colleges. To promote healthy competition among meritorious girl students, the plan to provide scooters to 50,000 meritorious girls at the graduation level is also being taken forward."
The Chief Minister added, "Daughters are no less than anyone today. Before 2017, there were only around 10,000 women police personnel in the Uttar Pradesh Police. Today, this number has increased to 45,000 and is soon expected to reach 50,000. As a result, girls are moving ahead in every field."
The Chief Minister stated, "The safety, dignity and self-reliance of daughters are directly linked to the development of the state. Today, the daughters of Uttar Pradesh are moving ahead in every field of life and contributing to the progress of the state and the country. This change is not merely the result of schemes, but a reflection of a changing Uttar Pradesh. Once identified as a BIMARU state, Uttar Pradesh is today progressing rapidly and emerging as a growth engine of the Indian economy. The safety, education, dignity and self-reliance of daughters are an important reflection of this transformation."
During the programme, a video clip featuring girl students from all 75 districts was also screened. In the clips, the students introduced themselves, conveyed Raksha Bandhan greetings to the Chief Minister and said that they would send him rakhis. Several students also shared their experiences and placed their aspirations and questions before the Chief Minister.
Class 8 student Shail Kumari said that her school has a computer lab and that she has also learned to operate computers. Thanking the Chief Minister, she said that all facilities are being provided to students by the government, giving them opportunities to move ahead.
Samriddhi Verma, a Class 8 student of Pioneer Montessori Inter College, said that meeting the Chief Minister face-to-face was a golden opportunity for her. She had been watching CM Sir on television since childhood, and her wish to meet him in person was fulfilled on Raksha Bandhan.
Ayesha Bano, a Class 7 student of Shri Guru Nanak Girls Inter College, told the CM that she was extremely happy to meet him and receive his blessings. She expressed the wish that his blessings would always remain upon children.
Vaishnavi Pal, a Class 9 student of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Malihabad, described meeting the Chief Minister as a very special moment in her life. She said that watching the Chief Minister on television had inspired her to also become a leader like him. After learning that she would get an opportunity to meet the Chief Minister, she had been eagerly waiting for the day.
Vaishnavi said that she is a hockey player and has been selected at the national level. The facilities provided at Kasturba Gandhi Vidyalaya and the guidance of teachers gave her an opportunity to move ahead.
Divya, a student of the same school, said that earlier her school had classes only up to Class 8, but she is extremely happy that the facility to study from Class 9 to Class 12 is now available. She plays football and has participated in competitions up to the state level. Class 7 student Anjawati Singh also conveyed Raksha Bandhan greetings to the Chief Minister and said that she is a hockey and karate player.
She has been selected for the national level in hockey, while she has won a bronze medal at the state level in karate.
Students of The Sanskriti School, Lucknow, also interacted with the Chief Minister. One student thanked the Chief Minister for the work being done in the field of education and the facilities being provided to them.
Class 8 student Shreyashi Singh asked the Chief Minister about the challenges faced by students amid the increasing use of social media. She asked how students can stay away from harmful things that emerge in the age of social media and remain focused on their studies and goals.
Responding to the student's question, the Chief Minister said, "To move ahead in life, one must first develop good thinking and prepare oneself according to one's goal. Technology is important in today's era, but it also has its limits and should be used according to need. Smartphones are consuming a significant amount of the current generation's time. If our dependence on any machine or technology becomes so excessive that it begins to weaken our ability to think, understand and be creative, it is necessary to maintain distance from it."
The Chief Minister gave the example that at one time, people could perform calculations and remember multiplication tables without calculators and could immediately answer mathematical questions. As dependence on calculators increased, it also affected people's memory. A smartphone can be a useful medium for digital libraries, good educational content and online education. It should be used to access important material related to the curriculum and competitive examinations, but not every piece of content available on it is necessarily beneficial to us. It is necessary to stay away from unnecessary content. He also cautioned about the adverse effects of excessive smartphone use.
The Chief Minister added that looking at a smartphone for long periods can affect eyesight and weaken the ability to think and understand. Children who spend four to 6 hours on smartphones should gradually try to reduce their screen time.
The Chief Minister informed, "Both good and bad content is available on social media platforms. Therefore, students should view only material that is useful according to their needs, curriculum and competitive examinations. A limit should also be set on the use of smartphones and social media."
CM Yogi called upon the children of the state to develop the habit of reading good and inspiring books instead of spending unnecessary time on smartphones. He said that reading good books beyond the curriculum and developing the habit of writing would be beneficial for the development of their personality and knowledge.
The Chief Minister also shared his own experience with the student. He said that he himself uses a smartphone very little, barely half an hour, and that too for some important subject or issue related to the state. Otherwise, he does not use a smartphone. He said that he knows that a smartphone can consume a lot of his time and affect the time required to work on various issues concerning the state.
The CM told the students that they too should maintain distance from smartphones.
During the interaction, Shreja, a student of The Culture School, asked the Chief Minister how he manages Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in the country.
The Chief Minister said, "More than 25 crore people live in Uttar Pradesh, but this population is not a challenge. Rather, it is an important means of taking forward the state's potential. Those who considered population a challenge had turned UP into a BIMARU state. His government has worked to connect this population with the demographic dividend by linking the skilling of youth, employment and the development of the state."
The Chief Minister stated, "Platforms have been created for skilling according to the scale, and efforts have been made to link skilling with employment. Employment was linked with the development of the state, and development was linked with strong infrastructure. When such a large population moves forward and thinks together, the results also become visible. Today, UP is not a BIMARU state, but is among the country's top-three economies. 9 years ago, the state was counted among the backward states of the country, but today UP is counted among the most progressive states. The progress achieved in the safety, dignity and self-reliance of 25 crore people with pure intent and clear policy is the result visible before the state."
He told the students that when one's intentions are pure and goals are clear in life, the desired results are certainly achieved.
Agrima, a Class 6 student of Atal Awasiya Vidhyalaya, conveyed Raksha Bandhan greetings to the Chief Minister and expressed her wish to have a group photograph with him.
The Chief Minister happily agreed to have the photograph taken.
During the interaction, the Chief Minister said, "Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, the state government had started these schools for the children of construction workers. The parents of construction workers keep moving to different places for work, due to which their children's education used to be affected. Keeping this problem in mind, 18 Atal Awasiya Vidyalaya have been started in the state. Children are receiving better education and facilities in these schools, and the students studying here are performing well."
Soumya, a student of NS Public School, expressed her happiness after meeting the Chief Minister at the programme. Soumya said, "She had so far seen the Chief Minister only on television, but meeting him in person today made her very happy."
Class 3 student Yashika Sonkar also interacted with the Chief Minister. Introducing herself, the student said, she had seen him many times on television and was now speaking to him face-to-face. Yashika also expressed her wish to have a photograph with her group and concluded her interaction with the slogan, 'Jai Hind-Jai Bharat'.