Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said here on Wednesday that whatever investment was made in education and health never went waste and it always gave positive results.

The chief minister was holding a dialogue with the representatives of private universities and higher educational institutes at his official residence.

He told the representatives that if they want to invest in UP in medical, technical, agricultural and educational institutes under the New Education Policy the state government was ready to extend its full support.

He said that their investments would remain secure in the state and would give them the opportunity to move forward.

The chief minister said that UP was the largest state in the country and represented the ancient philosophical and cultural heritage of the country and was also a centre of education.

“Kashi and Ayodhya are counted amongst the oldest cities. Mathura-Vrindavan has an old history. Hastinapur associated with Mahabharata is also in UP. Prayagraj, better known for Kumbh, is also in UP. We have 75 districts and 18 commissionerates in which there are 22 state universities, three under construction, 36 private universities, two All India Institutes of Medical Sciences and two Indian Institutes of Technology,” he pointed out.

He said that 2021 an Act on private universities was promulgated and the state government had followed it with speed.

Yogi Adityanath said that the government had received proposals for setting up new universities and the state was giving the right atmosphere for it.

“You must have seen the changing face of Uttar Pradesh. We have a list of educational institutes but in 2020, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after the implementation of the New Education Policy it was possible to carry forward a new competition,” he said.

The chief minister said that there were several districts where there was no university and people desired some good group to come and start qualitative education in the district. “Today’s youth believes in innovation and wants to see innovation. They want to take their career forward in whatever changes that are taking place in the field of education. There is a challenge amongst all to prove themselves and only those will survive who are a part of this healthy competition and prove themselves. Uttar Pradesh will give you this opportunity,” he added.

Yogi said that the latest report of NITI Aayog showed that UP had made the biggest jump in poverty alleviation and in sustainable development goals. He said that in the last six years, UP had freed 5.5 crore people from poverty, giving them a new lease of life.

“NITI Aayog report also shows the changes in the education sector,” he added.

The chief minister told the gathering that Rs 1,200 was given to 1.91 crore students of the basic education for school uniform on Wednesday. He said that in secondary education, 56 lakh students appeared in examinations held and this showed the immense possibilities which UP had. He said in higher education also there were a large number of students.

“UP has a population of 25 crore but there are states in vicinity from where people come to UP for education, health and trade” he said.

He said that in any government hospital in the city there were people from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Nepal and Bihar.

The chief minister said that the state had strengthened its connectivity and infrastructure.

Yogi said that UP had attracted private universities with a proposition that if they wanted recognition as state universities and they gave their property to the state government, the government would think on it. “I have received three proposals for the same,” he said.

He told the universities that UP wants to gain from their experience and the state government will support them.

Yogi said that he was happy that the universities had shown interest in UP. “If you visit the places in Uttar Pradesh you will understand that it is the heart of the country,” he said.