Vice President Dhankhar lauds Adityanath, says ‘UP a shining example of progress’

He said Uttar Pradesh has witnessed significant advancements in the field of education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and other sectors since 2017. “In the pre-2017 era, Uttar Pradesh was plagued by fear and poor law and order, causing distress among the common people,” he said.

Reflecting on India’s transformation, Dhankhar noted that today’s India is far stronger than it was a decade ago. He contrasted the past, “when the country’s gold reserves were mortgaged in Swiss banks”, with the present, “when India’s gold reserves are robust”. He also highlighted the “dramatic changes” in Kashmir, where, following the abrogation of Article 370, more than two crore tourists have visited the region over the past two to three years.

Talking about the country’s first Sainik School, Dhankhar said it was founded in Lucknow in 1960 by the then CM Dr. Sampurnanand. “Now, decades later, CM Yogi Adityanath has surpassed that legacy, setting a new benchmark by swiftly establishing another Sainik School,” he said.

“Although the echo of Yogi-ji’s miraculous work is heard everywhere, it was difficult and unimaginable to build and run a Sainik School in three years. There was always this faith that Chief Minister Yogi would do it,” he said.

Speaking at the event, CM Adityanath said Gorakhpur is a crucial hub for the three crore people of eastern Uttar Pradesh, which borders Bihar and Nepal.

He emphasised that the Sainik School in Gorakhpur, completed at a cost of Rs 176 crore, is the first of its kind in eastern UP. It will offer residential education to students from classes 6 to 12. The CM expressed confidence that the School will contribute to nation-building and the creation of a developed India by instilling a sense of duty and responsibility in its students.

The CM noted that the new Sainik School features separate campuses for boys and girls and includes an auditorium named after the country’s first CDS, General Bipin Rawat. Additionally, a multipurpose hall, Eklavya shooting range and a swimming pool have been constructed in honour of martyr Captain Vikram Batra.

The administrative building reflects ancient Indian culture and traditions and includes 20 classrooms, 4 laboratories, a dining hall, multipurpose hall and a conference hall.

The auditorium has 1,014 seats and includes facilities such as a yoga centre, an indoor shooting range, a swimming pool and a CSD canteen.