The education department of the Uttar Pradesh government has received 4640 proposals from MPs, MLAs, other government and other public representatives to adopt state-run schools to transform them. This response has come within the span of two months of CM Yogi Adityanath’s call to gazetted officers to adopt government schools and provide them with basic facilities and upgrade them from their current state.
CM Yogi Adityanath launched the ‘School Chalo Abhiyan’ in the state from Shrawasti on 4th April 2022. Under this initiative, the CM had sought support from legislators, councillors, panchayat and municipal representatives in improving the state of schools in their respective areas. After this, a direction was issued to the gazetted officers to adopt a school each to give the schools a facelift. This mission of adoption was also named Operation Kayakalp. The officials are expected to improve the infrastructure and facilities of the schools. In this initiative, schools under the Operation Kayakalp will be given priority. Operation Kayakalp is one of the biggest inter-departmental convergence schemes of the UP government. The proposals being received by the education department in large numbers are the result of the same.
Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh state, DS Mishra had issued the directions of Operation Kayakalp. The schools adopted in this initiative are expected to get better infrastructures and facilities. These facilities include a range of things like electrical wirings, fans, lights, desks, sports equipment, teaching equipment, means to convert a normal classroom into a smart classroom, and audiovisual aids. The elected representatives and the gazetted officers who are adopting the government schools can also provide a library to the school. Clean drinking facilities to the schools are also on the list.
According to a report by the Times of India, Jaunpur (179), Banda(178), and Kanpur Nagar(176) are the districts with the highest number of adoption proposals. There are districts like Amethi, Raebareli, Firozabad, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, etc. where the number of adoption proposals is in single digits.
An officer in the education department said, “There are cases where an elected representative – MP or MLA – has adopted more than one school. This will encourage more gazetted officers to participate in revamping schools.” CM Yogi Adityanath had appealed to gazetted officers and people’s representatives right from the Panchayat level. The adoption of government schools is a new thing they are competing with one another. The motive of this initiative is to provide students with a clean, healthy, fulfilling, and developed atmosphere in their learning space.
