The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, has directed officials to undertake a comprehensive overhaul of the management and functioning of Jai Prakash Narayan Sarvodaya residential schools and speed up the recruitment of teachers against vacant posts.
According to a PTI report, the directions were issued by the CM of Uttar Pradesh while chairing a review meeting of the social welfare department in the presence of Minister Asim Arun. He called for clear rules and regulations for the schools and said their management should be made more systematic.
UP Sarvodaya Schools to Get Management Overhaul
During the meeting, officials informed the chief minister that the number of Sarvodaya schools had increased from 93 before 2017 to 103 during the 2025-26 academic session. Of the 103 schools, 59 are affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), while 44 are affiliated with the UP Board.
The chief minister sought detailed information on teacher availability, essential staff, facilities for students and the overall management of the residential institutions. He directed officials to expedite the filling of vacant teaching posts and ensure that other required personnel are provided according to the academic needs of the students.
The directions come amid a series of student protests in several parts of Uttar Pradesh. Students in Lucknow, Kannauj, Unnao, Fatehpur, Hamirpur, Mahoba and Azamgarh have recently raised concerns related to basic amenities, infrastructure and other issues.
11.50 Lakh Old-Age Pension Applications Pending
Adityanath also reviewed the implementation of social security schemes and directed officials to verify applications of eligible elderly people who are yet to receive their old-age pension benefits.
Officials said the number of beneficiaries under the National Old Age Pension Scheme has risen from 37.47 lakh in 2017-18 to 67.50 lakh in 2025-26. However, around 11.50 lakh new applications were still pending.
The CM instructed officials to complete the verification and approval process within a stipulated timeframe so that eligible beneficiaries do not have to wait unnecessarily.
Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Yojana Reviewed
He also reviewed the Mukhyamantri Abhyudaya Yojana, which provides support to students preparing for competitive examinations. The scheme currently operates through 163 centres across all 75 districts. It has 1,783 empanelled teachers and 23,801 registered students preparing for examinations, such as UPSC, PCS, NEET, JEE and NDA/CDS.
The officials have been instructed to make better use of available resources and ensure that the experience of the best teachers and experts reaches most of the students. Four Centres of Excellence are also currently functional under the scheme.
Further, the CM directed officials to ensure that every eligible student receives scholarship benefits on time and ordered the application portal to be opened immediately for students who were left out of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships.
The scholarship amounts have been directed to be transferred by October 2.
Officials said around 3.16 lakh students who missed out on scholarship benefits for various reasons would get another opportunity to apply. The group currently includes 31,836 students from government institutions, 69,631 from aided institutions and 2,46,426 from private institutions.
(With Inputs from PTI)