Lucknow, July 1 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the second phase of the state-wide 'School Chalo Abhiyan-2026' from Saharanpur on Wednesday, emphasising how education remains the strongest cornerstone of nation-building.The Chief Minister, addressing a public gathering, underscored the importance of quality education, explaining how it shapes good citizens, teachers, doctors, officials, and public representatives. He urged everyone to ensure enrolment of every child in school within the next 15 days and called upon teachers, civil society and public representatives to turn the campaign into a mass movement.“Quality education not only instils good values ​​and fosters self-reliance in children but also prepares them to play an effective role in the development of society and the country,” CM Yogi said.The Chief Minister also told the crowd that Uttar Pradesh has achieved remarkably good progress in the school dropout rate.“The drop-out rate, which stood at 19-20 per cent in previous regimes, has now been reduced to 3-4 per cent because of improved amenities and services,” he stated.

The 'School Chalo Abhiyan,' launched in 2017, seeks to bring every child into the mainstream of education. He attributed the campaign's success to the government's clear policy and firm resolve towards educational reform.Highlighting the state govt’s persistent efforts for wider enrolment of students, particularly from backward and marginalised classes, the CM informed that in 2017, only 36 per cent of schools under the Basic Education Council were equipped with basic amenities, which saw an enormous rise over the years.“Most schools lacked fundamental facilities such as toilets, clean drinking water, furniture, libraries, kitchens, and boundary walls. To address these shortcomings, the state government launched 'Operation Kayakalp,' under which government schools underwent a comprehensive transformation with the cooperation of public representatives, the administration, and society,” he said.

He stated that essential facilities—including separate toilets for boys and girls, clean drinking water, furniture, libraries, and proper arrangements for mid-day meals—are now being developed in schools. The government's goal is to provide a superior educational environment for every child. CM Yogi stated that a child deprived of education represents a loss not only to their family but to the entire society and nation. Therefore, ensuring every child attends school is a collective responsibility.He mentioned that scholarships have been provided to approximately 23,000 differently-abled girls for the 2025-26 academic year.The state government has already increased the honorarium for Shiksha Mitras (part-time teachers) from Rs 10,000 to Rs 18,000 and for instructors from Rs 9,000 to Rs 17,000.The Chief Minister added that the host of part-time teachers, instructors, cooks, and those associated with the 'school chalo' programme will be secured with an insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh.

/IANS