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. 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.