Lucknow, Aug 15 (IANS) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday extended Independence Day greetings to the people of Uttar Pradesh and announced a new ‘Youth Policy’ aimed at strengthening the skills, innovation capabilities and employment prospects of the state’s young population.
Addressing the Independence Day ceremony at Vidhan Bhawan in Lucknow, the Chief Minister said Uttar Pradesh had undergone a significant transformation over the past nine years, particularly in the areas of law and order, governance, infrastructure, investment, employment and social welfare.
He said that following historic improvements in law and order, Uttar Pradesh had transformed from a state of “unrest” (updrav pradesh) into a state of “celebration” (utsav pradesh). Once counted among the ‘Bimaru’, or backward, states, Uttar Pradesh is now emerging as a “growth engine” of the national economy, he said.
Yogi said the state had also established itself as a “dream destination” for investors by eliminating policy paralysis and creating an environment conducive to investment and industrial growth.
The Chief Minister said the new Youth Policy would adopt an integrated approach to strengthen the capabilities and opportunities available to young people.
“The state government is committed to equipping every young person with skills, fostering innovation and ensuring employment opportunities,” he said, adding that efforts to effectively harness the potential and possibilities of Uttar Pradesh’s youth would be accelerated further.
Describing the youth as Uttar Pradesh’s greatest asset, Yogi said the state’s young people are talented, hardworking and driven by a strong desire to achieve something significant for the nation and society.
He said the state’s true strength lies in the talent and energy of its youth and that the government was taking steps to ensure that this demographic strength became an “engine of development”.
The government has taken stringent action against the “cheating mafia” and “recruitment mafia”, he said, adding that the state’s youth are now being provided with greater opportunities to pursue education, employment, entrepreneurship and innovation.
He said rapid strides were being made in emerging sectors such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, semiconductors, startup ecosystems, data centres, defence manufacturing, cybersecurity, robotics, electric vehicles, agritech, fintech, deep tech and med-tech, particularly to prepare Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha for the changing employment landscape.
“These initiatives are opening new avenues for investment, innovation and employment,” the Chief Minister said.
Through the CM Yuva Udyami Yojana, interest-free and collateral-free loans are being provided to young people to encourage self-employment and entrepreneurship.
Yogi also highlighted the development of sports infrastructure, saying sports colleges are being established at divisional headquarters, stadiums are being developed in every district, mini-stadiums are being established in every block, and playgrounds and open gyms are being developed in villages.
He said the youth of Uttar Pradesh are now free from the problem of forced migration and are increasingly finding opportunities within their own state.
The Chief Minister said Independence Day was an occasion to remember and pay tribute to the great freedom fighters, revolutionaries and brave soldiers who dedicated their lives to the nation.
He paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation and proponent of truth and non-violence; Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose; Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, popularly known as the ‘Iron Man’; Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution; and Dr Rajendra Prasad, the country’s first President and Chairman of the Constituent Assembly.
Yogi said these illustrious personalities sacrificed everything for India’s freedom and, after securing Independence, continued to discharge their responsibilities towards building an ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat.’
He said the struggle for India’s Independence could not be discussed without remembering Uttar Pradesh’s contribution.
“There is a long lineage of those who sacrificed everything for the nation’s freedom,” he said, recalling Mangal Pandey, the Queen of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai, and bravehearts including Avantibai Lodhi, Jhalkaribai Kori and Uda Devi Pasi.
He also remembered revolutionaries and freedom fighters such as Chandrashekhar Azad, Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, Thakur Roshan Singh and Tatya Tope.
Yogi said these revolutionaries sounded the bugle of independence on the soil of Uttar Pradesh and carried the call for freedom across districts from east to west during the First War of Independence.
Their struggles and sacrifices ultimately culminated in India’s Independence on August 15, 1947, he said.
The Chief Minister also paid tribute to Uttar Pradesh Police Special Task Force Inspector Sunil Kumar, describing him as a brave son of Mother India.
He recalled that Inspector Sunil Kumar had confronted notorious criminals during an encounter in Shamli and gunned down four hardened criminals before sustaining critical injuries in the direct confrontation and attaining martyrdom.
For his indomitable courage and supreme sacrifice, Sunil Kumar was awarded the Kirti Chakra.
Yogi offered his humble and respectful homage to the martyr and remembered his sacrifice for the security of the nation and the people.
The Chief Minister said India’s freedom came after immense sacrifices, but the country also paid a heavy price through the tragedy of Partition.
He said Independence was accompanied by several major challenges, including illiteracy, inequality, anarchy, insecurity, poverty, backwardness, migration, casteism, untouchability and appeasement.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh has taken numerous significant steps during the last nine years to address these challenges and overcome disparities, backwardness, poverty and illiteracy, he said.
Yogi said Uttar Pradesh could not afford to remain stagnant while India was undergoing a transformation.
The state, he said, had actively embraced this change, and the results were visible today.
As India stands before the world with renewed strength, energy and self-confidence, Uttar Pradesh has also elevated its own journey through a combination of heritage and development, the Chief Minister said.
From expressways to airports, Digital India to artificial intelligence, agriculture to industry, youth power to the startup ecosystem, and defence manufacturing to deep technology, the state has begun setting new benchmarks for development, he said.
“Uttar Pradesh is not merely changing; it is playing a pivotal role in shaping the direction of change across the country,” Yogi said.
Under Prime Minister Modi’s guidance, the state is advancing towards new heights with the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’ — together with all, development for all, trust of all and effort by all.
Yogi said historic improvements in law and order had helped Uttar Pradesh emerge as a model of good governance.
The state, he said, was no longer viewed as a ‘Bimaru’ or ailing state, but had become one of the growth engines of India’s economy.
During the past nine years, the size of Uttar Pradesh’s budget and economy has tripled, while per capita income has also increased threefold, he said.
The contribution of women to the workforce has also increased threefold, according to the Chief Minister.
He said Uttar Pradesh was moving decisively away from the era of “One District-One Mafia” towards development-oriented initiatives such as ‘One District-One Product’, ‘One District-One Medical College’, ‘One District-One Cuisine’, ‘One Division-One State University’, ‘One Division-One Atal Residential School’ and ‘One Division-One Forensic Lab’.
Yogi said Uttar Pradesh currently has 36 sectoral policies and a dedicated land bank spread over more than 75,000 acres.
A “future-ready” township spanning 56,000 acres is being developed in the Bundelkhand region, he said.
As a result of the state’s good governance model over the last nine years, Uttar Pradesh has received investment proposals worth more than Rs 50 lakh crore, the Chief Minister said.
These investments have expanded job and employment opportunities for more than 65 lakh youths within their own districts, regions and the state.
Through transparent and time-bound recruitment processes, more than nine lakh young people have secured government jobs during the last nine years, Yogi said.
More than four crore employment and self-employment opportunities have been created in the state, he added.
The number of large-scale industries has increased two-and-a-half times, while the state now has 96 lakh MSME units, more than 32,000 large industries and over 22,000 startups driving its economy forward.
The Chief Minister said Uttar Pradesh was moving rapidly in emerging sectors including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, semiconductors, startups, data centres, defence manufacturing, cybersecurity, robotics, electric vehicles, agritech, fintech, deep tech and med-tech.
These sectors are creating new opportunities for investment, innovation and employment, he said.
Platforms are also being made available to young people through Centres of Excellence and other institutions.
Yogi said the state was simultaneously strengthening the education system.
Under Operation Kayakalp, 19 basic amenities have been fully provided in primary schools.
Models such as CM Abhyudaya Vidyalaya, PM SHRI Vidyalaya and CM Composite Vidyalaya have also been developed.
The school dropout rate in Uttar Pradesh has fallen from 19 per cent to just three per cent, he said.
In the health sector, communicable diseases such as encephalitis have been completely eradicated, according to the Chief Minister.
He said 10 crore beneficiaries linked to Ayushman Bharat are receiving health coverage of up to ₹5 lakh annually.
Describing teachers as “frontline warriors in nation-building”, Yogi said the government had arranged cashless medical facilities for teachers, academic staff and their families.
‘When Teachers Are Free from Anxiety, They Can Shape the Future Better’
Yogi said the government had, over the past nine years, worked to address the concerns of teachers, Shiksha Mitras, instructors and cooks by ensuring appropriate honorariums.
“When teachers are free from worries regarding health, they will contribute with renewed energy to shaping a bright future for the youth,” he said.
The government has also taken steps to eliminate middlemen by transferring benefits directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
Over the last nine and a half years, more than 65 lakh families have been provided housing, while toilet facilities have been made available in the homes of more than three crore poor families.
The government is continuously working to provide free cooking gas connections to more than 20 million poor families, free healthcare facilities to more than 100 million people and free food grains to 160 million needy individuals, the Chief Minister said.
CM Yogi said efforts to provide comprehensive amenities to tribal communities, including the Vantangia, Musahar, Tharu, Chero, Kol, Sahariya and Buxa communities, had been accelerated.
To strengthen rural development and digital services, all 57,600-plus Gram Panchayats in Uttar Pradesh have been connected with Gram Sachivalayas, or Village Secretariats.
The state has successfully lifted six crore people out of multidimensional poverty, he said.
Yogi said the concept of Antyodaya means ensuring that rights and benefits reach the person standing at the very last rung of the social ladder.
“When a government moves towards achieving the goal of Antyodaya, it embodies the true meaning of independence and complete freedom for the poor,” he said.
Women and daughters across Uttar Pradesh are increasingly participating in economic activities through Self-Help Groups, establishing enterprises and self-employment ventures and integrating themselves with the banking system.
They are also using technology such as drones to simplify agricultural activities and are contributing new dimensions to the state’s economy.
Through initiatives including BC Sakhi, Lakhpati Didi, Drone Didi, milk producer companies and Farmer Producer Organisations, women are becoming active partners in the state’s development, he said.
The Chief Minister said the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao campaign had gained fresh momentum through schemes such as the PM Matru Vandana Yojana, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana and Uttar Pradesh’s Kanya Sumangla Yojana under the “double-engine” government.
Five phases of Mission Shakti have been successfully completed, he said.
Today, every police station in Uttar Pradesh has a Mission Shakti Kendra, through which the state government is working to ensure the safety, dignity and self-reliance of women and daughters.
Yogi said that over the past nine years, women had not only been accorded due respect but had also been liberated from the fear of insecurity.
“Today, our sisters and daughters can go to the market at any time, travel alone for their studies, return home from work and fulfil their dreams,” he said.
He said the government was building an Uttar Pradesh that embraces both its heritage and future technologies — a state where cultural pride and modernity coexist, where the roots of tradition remain strong and where the wings of development soar towards the skies.
The Chief Minister said Uttar Pradesh was not only preserving its rich religious, spiritual and cultural heritage but was also linking this heritage with employment opportunities for young people.
Efforts are underway to conserve and develop sacred pilgrimage sites including Ayodhya, Kashi, Mathura-Vrindavan, Prayagraj, Vindhyachal, Chitrakoot, Shukteerth, Sambhal, Bareilly and Naimisharanya.
The state is also preserving heritage sites associated with Lord Buddha, including Kapilvastu, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti and Kaushambi.
Similarly, work is being undertaken to honour and preserve sites associated with Jain Tirthankaras, as well as the legacies of Saint Kabir Das, Saint Ravidas, Maharshi Valmiki and champions of social justice.
Through conservation and development of these heritage sites, the government is also creating new employment opportunities for the youth, Yogi said.
In 2025, these collective efforts contributed to the arrival of more than 156 crore tourists in Uttar Pradesh, he said.
The historic and ancient Kalinjar Fort, described as unconquerable and located on a hill in the Vindhya range in Banda district, was featured in this year’s Republic Day tableau.
Yogi also said Sarnath had recently been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Chief Minister said the strength of Uttar Pradesh’s youth was also reflected in environmental initiatives.
More than 35 crore saplings were planted in a single day under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ (A Tree in Mother’s Name) campaign.
The government is also working to revive small, dried-up or vanishing rivers under the ‘Ek Janpad-Ek Nadi’ (One District-One River) scheme.
All municipal corporations in the state, including Ayodhya, are being developed as solar cities, he said.
Yogi said the state’s “double-engine” government was committed to ensuring prosperity in every farmer’s field, enabling every daughter’s dreams to take flight, taking the light of development to every village and ensuring dignity in the life of every citizen.
“Our freedom fighters secured our independence; now it is the responsibility of our generation to elevate India to new heights of prosperity, capability and self-respect,” he said.
He remarked that while India’s independence had been inherited by the present generation, building a Developed India was the collective responsibility of every citizen.
“The dream of a developed India will be realised only when we collectively discharge our duties towards creating a developed Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
Yogi added that when a state with a population of 25 crore moves towards this goal with unity and a single voice, it would constitute a significant contribution and a true tribute to the sacrifices and efforts of the country’s freedom fighters and brave soldiers.
The Chief Minister said farmers are central to the country’s food security and stressed that respecting farmers is synonymous with respecting the food that sustains India.
He said farmers are now receiving the benefits of various government schemes directly in their bank accounts.
Agriculture is being linked with markets through improved irrigation facilities, fair prices and timely payments to sugarcane farmers, access to seeds and fertilisers, new technologies, and storage and processing infrastructure.
More than three crore farmers have received payments in their bank accounts under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, he said.
Yogi said that over the past nine years, farmers — the providers of food — had been freed from several longstanding problems, including exploitation by middlemen, lack of opportunities, irrigation shortages and pending dues of sugarcane farmers.
Immediate assistance is being provided to affected farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and the Chief Minister’s Krishak Kalyan Yojana, he said.
An additional 24 lakh hectares of land in Uttar Pradesh have been brought under irrigation coverage.
Free electricity is being provided to 16 lakh farmers operating private tube wells.
As a result, Uttar Pradesh’s agricultural growth rate has increased from eight per cent to 18 per cent over the last nine years, Yogi said.
He said this was not merely a change in statistics but reflected the growing self-confidence of the state.
Yogi also highlighted the increasing participation of women in different sectors of the economy and public life.
He said 18 cities in Uttar Pradesh — including 17 municipal corporations and Gautam Buddha Nagar — have been integrated into the Safe City project.
Women’s participation in startups has reached 50 per cent, while their representation in panchayats has also increased.
Their participation in the police force has been significantly enhanced, he said.
The Chief Minister stressed that the government’s objective was to ensure the participation of the “other half” of the population — women — in every sector of society, and said the state was steadily moving in this direction.
Yogi said the overall transformation of Uttar Pradesh was being driven by improvements in governance, infrastructure, employment, investment, social welfare, women’s empowerment, agriculture, education, healthcare, technology and youth development.
He reiterated that the government’s focus would remain on providing young people with skills, employment and opportunities for innovation while ensuring that the state’s demographic strength was converted into a sustained engine of economic growth.
He also underlined the importance of preserving Uttar Pradesh’s cultural and spiritual heritage while embracing modern technologies and emerging industries.
The Chief Minister concluded by reiterating that the sacrifices of India’s freedom fighters and soldiers had placed a responsibility on the present generation to strengthen the country and contribute towards building a developed nation.
Kunwar Manvendra Singh, Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council; Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak; Lucknow Mayor Sushma Kharkwal; public representatives; senior officials from the Army, administration and police; and family members of martyrs were present at the Independence Day ceremony.
–IANS
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