Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday accused previous governments of making an “unlawful” attempt to recognise Shiksha Mitras as assistant teachers without adhering to rules, a decision that later resulted in the Supreme Court ordering their termination.
Addressing a state-level Shiksha Mitra felicitation ceremony organised by the basic education department in Gorakhpur, the chief minister said the top court’s order had posed a major challenge for the government, as around 1.5 lakh families faced the risk of losing their livelihoods.
“Due to this mistake, the Supreme Court ordered the termination of all Shiksha Mitras’ services. This created a major challenge before us. Around 1.5 lakh families could have been pushed to starvation on the streets. These people had been serving for 18 to 19 years. At that stage of life, where could they have gone? At that time, we decided in the Cabinet (meeting) that their services would not be terminated; instead, we would continue to take their support,” he said.
“In 2017 itself, the state government increased the honorarium of Shiksha Mitras from ₹3,500 to ₹10,000. Now, it has been further hiked to ₹18,000 per month and implemented from April onwards,” he added.
‘Abandon trade union-style thinking, negative attitudes’
The chief minister urged Shiksha Mitras to abandon what he described as trade union-style thinking and negative attitudes. He said a demand-centric and negative approach could weaken the foundation of children’s education and harm society.
“Our nature cannot be like that of a trade union. The nation comes first. Only those who work with a positive spirit can build a good generation,” Adityanath said, adding that the government had resolved long-pending demands through dialogue and cooperation rather than confrontation.
‘Cashless health coverage of ₹5 lakh’
The chief minister announced that all Shiksha Mitras will be provided annual cashless health coverage of ₹5 lakh. “All Shiksha Mitras will be provided annual cashless health coverage of ₹5 lakh. Those who may have been left out will also receive this facility. Instructions have been issued to the Basic Education Council to ensure that all eligible beneficiaries are covered immediately. A grand ceremony will soon be organised to distribute the health cards to everyone,” Adityanath said.
He pointed out that during the Janata Darshan earlier in the day, a Shiksha Mitra family approached him regarding their seriously ill daughter who requires dialysis. “That is why I decided to extend the Prime Minister’s cashless health security scheme to Shiksha Mitras as well,” he added.
“The Basic Shiksha Parishad has been instructed to ensure that bank accounts of all Shiksha Mitras are opened immediately so that honorarium payments can be transferred directly into their accounts,” Adityanath said.
“The government has also arranged postings for Shiksha Mitras within their districts and nearby schools. In particular, married women Shiksha Mitras will be provided the facility of mutual transfers to schools near their parental or marital homes,” he added.
“A child dropping out of school is a national loss,” the chief minister said, adding that earlier girls did not attend school due to the lack of basic facilities such as drinking water, separate toilets and security. Today, he said, 1.6 crore children are being provided uniforms, bags, books, shoes, socks and sweaters.
Sharing his experience, he said that before 2017, children struggled to read even a single line, whereas now students at the primary level are reading fluently. He also cited the example of a visually impaired girl reading Braille confidently as a sign of progress.
The chief minister personally felicitated selected Shiksha Mitras and handed over cheques reflecting the increased honorarium.
‘Arunoday’, a student leadership-based prayer assembly activity calendar was also released
on the occasion.
Earlier, the chief minister performed Annaprashan ceremonies for several children and distributed gifts to women. He also visited an exhibition related to basic education, observed innovative models made by children and appreciated their efforts.
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