Ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday appealed to youngsters who will attain the age of 18 by January 1, 2027, to ensure their names are registered on the electoral rolls.
“Becoming a voter is a mission to strengthen the democratic system,” he said.
The chief minister issued the appeal while launching the second phase of a campaign to distribute 2.5 million (25 lakh) tablets under the ‘Swami Vivekananda Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana’ at the Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow. The event was held on ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ (Tribal Pride Day) and the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda. He distributed tablets to over 50,000 students and trainees from 300 educational institutions across the Lucknow division covering the districts of Lucknow, Hardoi, Sitapur and Unnao.
“Registering an ineligible person as a voter is an attempt to usurp the rights of an eligible individual. Young people must understand both their constitutional rights and their responsibilities,” he said.
He highlighted Swami Vivekananda as India’s greatest spiritual icon for the youth and said a youth empowerment initiative was launched in his name. This scheme was inaugurated on December 25, 2021—the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee—when COVID-19 was disrupting education and examinations, he said. A target was set to provide tablets and smartphones to two crore (20 million) young people, he said. In the first phase, 6 million (60 lakh) devices have already been distributed to students, he added.
{{/usCountry}}He highlighted Swami Vivekananda as India’s greatest spiritual icon for the youth and said a youth empowerment initiative was launched in his name. This scheme was inaugurated on December 25, 2021—the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee—when COVID-19 was disrupting education and examinations, he said. A target was set to provide tablets and smartphones to two crore (20 million) young people, he said. In the first phase, 6 million (60 lakh) devices have already been distributed to students, he added.
{{/usCountry}}He said that these tablets come pre-loaded with free study material for over 18,000 courses, developed in collaboration with Infosys.
In addition to subjects ranging from Yoga to modern fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ‘deep tech,’ the youth will also have access to information regarding various central and state government schemes through the ‘Yuva Sathi’ app installed on the tablets.
The chief minister said that Uttar Pradesh produces over two lakh graduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) every year. The state also ranks among the country’s leaders in engineering, polytechnic, and vocational education, he added. Global corporations such as Tata, Samsung, Hinduja, and HCL are collaborating to train the state’s youth, equipping them with skills tailored to future requirements, he said.
He highlighted that the state government has provided government jobs to over 950,000 (9.5 lakh) youths in the last nine and a half years, with plans to issue appointment letters to another 100,000 (1 lakh) youths by January 26.Explaining the significance of organizing an event on November 15, the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, the chief minister noted that at the age of just 25, Birsa Munda shook the foundations of British rule and sounded the clarion call for the nation’s independence.
Describing India as the youngest nation in the world, he said approximately 56% of the country’s population consists of youth, while in Uttar Pradesh, this figure ranges between 56 and 60%. Attacking the previous Samajwadi Party government, the chief minister said that before 2017, youth in the state were deprived of timely education, exams, and even employment opportunities.
“Now, there is no curfew, no riots, and all is well in UP. The mafia has been wiped out, and the rioters have gone into hiding. Strict action was taken against those who jeopardized the lives of youth,” he said.
“Previous governments considered the state’s population of over 250 million a burden, but this government saw it as a demographic dividend and worked to provide opportunities for the youth,” he said. The government is establishing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Economic and Industrial Zones in every district, he added. An industrial city will be developed on 56,000 acres in Bundelkhand, he said.