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UP CM seeks overhaul of sarvodaya schools, fast-tracks teacher hiring
Applications from eligible elderly persons deprived of old age pension be verified and benefits provided at the earliest, says Yogi Adityanath
LUCKNOW Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday called for a comprehensive overhaul of the management and functioning of Jai Prakash Narayan Sarvodaya residential schools and directed officials to expedite the recruitment of teachers against vacant posts, according to an official statement.
Chairing a review meeting of the social welfare department in the presence of minister Asim Arun,he said: “Clear rules and regulations for the schools be prepared, the selection process for vacant teaching posts be expedited and necessary action be taken towards the formation of a society so that the management and operation of these residential schools can be carried out more systematically.”
UP witnessed a series of student protests in recent weeks, with children taking to streets and even approaching district collectorates to press for basic amenities, infrastructure improvements and other demands in Lucknow, Kannauj, Unnao, Fatehpur, Hamirpur, Mahoba and Azamgarh, among other places.
The meeting focused heavily on residential institutions run by the department. Officials informed the CM that the number of Sarvodaya schools had risen from 93 before 2017 to 103 in the 2025-26 academic session. Of these, 59 were affiliated to the CBSE and 44 to the UP Board.
Adityanath sought detailed information on the availability of teachers and other essential staff, facilities provided to students and the overall management system. He instructed that the process of filling vacant teaching posts be accelerated and that other necessary human resources be made available according to the academic needs of students.
Turning to social security schemes, the CM directed that applications from eligible elderly persons deprived of old-age pensions so far be verified and benefits provided at the earliest.
“Eligible elderly persons should not wait unnecessarily, and the process from application verification to pension approval must be completed within a stipulated timeframe,” he said.
Officials reported that the number of beneficiaries under the National Old Age Pension Scheme increased from 37.47 lakh in 2017-18 to 67.50 lakh in 2025-26, while around 11.50 lakh new applications remained pending.
Reviewing the Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Yojana, Adityanath stressed the need to make the scheme more effective and expand its reach so that students preparing for competitive examinations receive quality guidance. He directed that available resources be utilised better and the experience of the best teachers and experts be made available to as many students as possible.
The scheme currently operates through 163 centres across all 75 districts, with 1,783 empaneled teachers and 23,801 students registered for examinations including UPSC, PCS, NEET, JEE and NDA/CDS. Four Centres of Excellence are also functional.
Reviewing scholarship distribution, the CM said every eligible student must receive the benefit on time. He directed that the application portal be opened immediately for students deprived of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships and that the scholarship amount be transferred by October 2 under all circumstances.
Officials said arrangements were being made to provide another opportunity to around 3.16 lakh students who were left out of scholarship benefits for various reasons. They include 31,836 students from government institutions, 69,631 from aided institutions and 2,46,426 from private institutions.
