Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that timely and quality education as well as education that values culture, tradition and nationality is alone ‘meaningful’.

Emphasising that it is crucial for the development of a student’s personality, he added that it is the responsibility of the educational institutions to also inform students about those schemes of the government that can help them achieve their goals.

Chief Minister Yogi was addressing the inauguration/foundation ceremony 'Abhyudaya' of Maniram-based Delhi Public School (DPS) in Gorakhpur, as the chief guest on Sunday.

He said that when the whole world was battered by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, India came up with the new National Education Policy, which opens doors of possibilities for institutions like DPS.

The chief minister said that Indian scholars had always stressed that knowledge should be accepted from everywhere, adding that the centres of education should be such that pave the way for all-round development of students and do not only create long queues of unemployed degree and certificate holders.

Chief Minister Yogi also emphasised the importance of sensible use of technology in education, pointing out that though knowledge of technology is very important in today’s world, one must not be its slave. He said that technology should be used as a medium for public welfare and nation’s growth.

The chief minister said that DPS pro vice-chairman Vishal Singh had expressed his desire to open DPS branches in Kushinagar, Maharajganj and Siddharthnagar. “These three are border districts and the government will extend all possible cooperation if good institutions come forward to set up their branches here,” he remarked.

The chief minister added further that Gorakhpur is a big centre of education, medical treatment, employment and business for the people of eastern Uttar Pradesh as well as bordering Bihar and Nepal. He said that many institutions had been set up near DPS.

“Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, is just an hour's drive from here. Along with this, a bypass is also being constructed till Kushinagar, so that the distance of Buddha's Mahaparinirvana place will be completed in just half an hour. We are also bringing the project of 'New Gorakhpur' in this area.”

The chief minister said that India was changing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that a new India had emerged in the last nine years of his governance.

“The ability of a leader is tested during challenging times. During COVID-19, when the whole world was in a state of inertia and confusion, India rose to the challenge and presented a model before the world. The sensitive government made arrangements for providing free tests, free treatment, free vaccines and free ration for 80 crore people,” he remarked.

The chief minister said that Pakistan had a population of 22-23 crore and yet people were begging for bread crumbs in the country. “On the other hand, India has been giving free ration to 80 crore people for the last three years. It is a reflection of the will power of today’s leadership,” he claimed.

The chief minister said that it took 101 years for the vaccine of encephalitis, a disease that killed thousands of children every year in eastern UP, to arrive in India and today India had developed two indigenous vaccines of COVID-19 within nine months of the outbreak of the pandemic under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. “Encephalitis vaccine was made in Japan only in 1905, but it was brought to India in 2006 ,when we fought vigorously from road to Parliament on the issue,” he said.

The chief minister added that in 2017, when Prime Minister Modi gave him the responsibility of the post of chief minister, he focused on the prevention of encephalitis by running a comprehensive campaign. As a result of this, encephalitis, which caused untimely death to more than 50,000 innocent people in 40 years, was now completely under control, he added.

Also present on the occasion were Ravikishan Shukla (MP), DPS Pro Vice Chairman Vishal Singh, chief patron of DPS Gorakhpur, former MP and former advocate general Vijay Bahadur Singh, High Court judges, Justices CD Singh, Sangeeta Chandra, BR Singh, Karunesh Panwar, Saurabh Lavania, Vivek Kumar Singh, Sadhna Thakur, Rahul Chaturvedi, district panchayat chairperson Sadhna Singh, MLA Fateh Bahadur Singh, Pradeep Shukla, Rajesh Tripathi and Harsh Vajpayee. 

On this occasion, the students of the school presented a mesmerising cultural programme. Prior to his address at the function, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the school premises, building and also met the staff.