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UP Board Exams: ‘Copying mafia’ biggest enemy of society, says CM Yogi Adityanath

In his address at a function organized to honor 1,745 meritorious students, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasized the positive changes brought about by his government in the education sector.
By Jitendra Jangid Jun 16, 2023, 14:50 IST
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday claimed that before 2017, the Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Board was ”infamous” for the use of unfair means during examination, and termed ”copying mafia” the ”biggest enemy” of the society. Adityanath was addressing a function organised to felicitate 1,745 meritorious students. Speaking on the occasion, Adityanath said, ”Before 2017, the UP Board was infamous for ’nakal’ (use of unfair means during examination), and our government made it copying-free. The copying mafia is the biggest enemy of the society, and it should be boycotted by the society, as it makes the educational institutions ’apavitra’ (impure) by indulging in copying. The administration should also act tough against the copying mafia.” Targeting the previous Samajwadi Party government, Adityanath said, ”Six years ago, examinations in the state used to spread over three months. The declaration of results used to take two-three months. Three months’ time was taken in taking admission into the next class, and three months were spent in festivals and holidays. Learning activity was seen less in the schools.” He added that for the first time, UP’s Secondary Education Board has conducted the examination in 15 days, and declared the results in a span of 14 days. In January 2019, the then Deputy Chief Minister of UP and Secondary Education Minister Dinesh Sharma, while drawing attention towards the enormity of the copying menace, had said, ”Before the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, the prevailing atmosphere in the state prompted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to say that tenders were floated in UP for copying,” After the BJP came to power in UP, steps have been taken to curb the evil practice, Sharma said. Sharma also said that the use of unfair means was so rampant in the past that students from specific states were kept together at one exam centre. Adityanath also said that before 2017, there were not enough teachers in the state. ”Our government has given appointment letters to more than 1.62 lakh teachers of basic education and secondary education in six years, after selecting them in a transparent manner. Under the ’operation kayakalp’ (rejuvenation of schools) Basic Education Council, 1.33 lakh schools have been renovated in the state.” He also said that in order to make the children technically competent, the government is giving two crore tablets to them. Aditynath also spoke about the state government’s Abhyudaya Yojana (a government-initiated free coaching scheme). For the first time, 23 candidates from the state have been selected in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and 95 in the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission through the government-initiated free coaching scheme, the chief minister said. He also stressed the need for creating awareness about sports among children. The chief minister said the dropout rate in schools and colleges has reduced in UP. He advised the students appearing in board exams that they must read the book ’Exam Warriors’ written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Adityanath also said ”India is the only country which created opportunity during the COVID-19 crisis”. The National Education Policy is also an outcome of that period. Educational institutions must implement the NEP for the bright future of the students”. Meritorious students received Rs 1 lakh in cash, tablet, medal and a certificate. The UP chief minister on this occasion also dedicated the public buildings of 18 government secondary schools and 125 science laboratories. UP secondary education minister Gulab Devi, minister of state for basic education (independent charge) Sandeep Singh, Minister of State for transport (independent charge) Dayashankar Singh, Chief Secretary Durgashankar Mishra, Additional Chief Secretary Basic Education and Secondary Education Department Deepak Kumar, and DG, School Education Vijay Kiran Anand were present at the event, a statement said.

In his address at a function organized to honor 1,745 meritorious students, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath emphasized the positive changes brought about by his government in the education sector. Adityanath highlighted the significant transformation in the state's education system, particularly in the Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Board, which was previously notorious for its involvement in unfair examination practices. He referred to the "copying mafia" as the biggest threat to society and stressed the need to boycott and take strict action against these elements that tarnish the integrity of educational institutions.

The Chief Minister criticized the previous Samajwadi Party government, pointing out that examinations used to span three months, with result declarations and admissions taking additional time. He highlighted the lack of focus on learning activities in schools during that period. Adityanath proudly stated that, under his administration, the Secondary Education Board successfully conducted examinations within 15 days and announced results within 14 days. He attributed this achievement to the efforts of his government in curbing the practice of copying.

Adityanath referred to an earlier statement by the then Deputy Chief Minister and Secondary Education Minister, Dinesh Sharma, who had drawn attention to the widespread prevalence of copying before the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came into power. The Chief Minister emphasized that his government had taken significant steps to address this issue. He revealed that in the past, students from specific states were grouped together in examination centers due to the extent of unfair practices. Adityanath also highlighted the increase in the number of teachers in the state, with over 1.62 lakh teachers appointed transparently by his government in both basic and secondary education. The Basic Education Council had renovated 1.33 lakh schools under the "operation kayakalp" initiative.

Furthermore, Adityanath emphasized the government's commitment to equipping children with technical skills by providing two crore tablets. He also praised the success of the government-initiated free coaching scheme, Abhyudaya Yojana, which resulted in 23 candidates from Uttar Pradesh being selected in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and 95 in the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission. The Chief Minister stressed the importance of promoting sports awareness among children and noted a reduction in dropout rates in schools and colleges across the state.

Adityanath advised students appearing for board exams to read the book "Exam Warriors" written by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He applauded India's ability to create opportunities even during the COVID-19 crisis, which ultimately led to the formulation of the National Education Policy (NEP). The Chief Minister urged educational institutions to implement the NEP for the benefit of students' bright future.

During the event, meritorious students were awarded Rs 1 lakh in cash, tablets, medals, and certificates. Adityanath also inaugurated public buildings for 18 government secondary schools and 125 science laboratories. Several dignitaries, including UP Secondary Education Minister Gulab Devi, Minister of State for Basic Education (independent charge) Sandeep Singh, Minister of State for Transport (independent charge) Dayashankar Singh, Chief Secretary Durgashankar Mishra, Additional Chief Secretary Basic Education and Secondary Education Department Deepak Kumar, and DG, School Education Vijay Kiran Anand, were present at the ceremony.

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