Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday presented awards to 75 meritorious high school and intermediate students who secured top 10 positions in the board exams at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Educational Excellence Awards ceremony held at the SCERT Auditorium in Nanurkheda. On this occasion, three principals from each school that achieved excellent results in the board exams were honored, along with the principals of the top 50 schools with outstanding results.
Addressing the ceremony, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay was a multifaceted personality. He believed that education should not be limited to bookish knowledge but should also include patriotism, moral values, social harmony, and practicality. With this objective in mind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a historic step towards making the education system more modern, practical, and quality-oriented by implementing the National Education Policy 2020. In this vein, the state government is also working with determination to strengthen educational innovation, digital learning, and an education system based on Indian values. The state government has developed smart classrooms, digital libraries, and online learning platforms in its educational institutions. It is also working to introduce students in grades 6 to 8 to India’s rich culture, folk traditions, and great personalities from the country and the state through the book “Hamari Virasat.” The Chief Minister said that while 226 schools in the state are being developed as PM Shri Vidyalayas, virtual classes are also being conducted in 1,300 schools across all 13 districts. Additionally, five PM e-Vidya channels are being operated to provide online education to children in remote areas. Chief Minister Mr. Dhami stated that free textbooks are being provided to all students from grades 1 to 12 in all government and aided schools in the state. Furthermore, meritorious students from grades 6 to 12 in government and private schools in Uttarakhand are also being provided monthly scholarships through the Chief Minister’s Meritorious Student Incentive Scholarship Scheme. Furthermore, meritorious students from grades 10 and 12 from each development block are being sent on a tour of India to promote the personality development of the state’s students.
The Chief Minister stated that the government is also providing financial assistance of ₹50,000 to candidates who pass the written examinations for the Union Public Service Commission, NDA, CDS, etc., for interview preparation.
Attempt to create chaos based on a single complaint
On this occasion, Chief Minister Mr. Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that the country’s strictest anti-cheating law has been implemented in Uttarakhand to curb the cheating mafia. Over the past four years, more than 25,000 young people from the state have been selected for government jobs. Many young people from ordinary families are now passing more than one exam. In contrast, only 16,000 appointments were made in the first 21 years of the state’s formation. Since the implementation of strict anti-cheating laws, more than 100 cheating mafias have been jailed. Chief Minister Dhami stated that some people are unhappy with the transparency with which young people are admitted to government jobs. Therefore, they are conspiring to leak papers in an organized manner to jeopardize their future. Recently, an unsuccessful attempt was made to leak papers in the state, and an attempt is being made to spread chaos based on a single complaint. The Chief Minister stated that strict laws already exist for such cases, and strict action will be taken in this case.
Every cheating mafia will be arrested.
The Chief Minister stated that the state government has decided to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the recent examination irregularities. Based on the SIT investigation, decisive action will be taken in this matter. The government will selectively arrest and punish every cheating mafia in the state. The Chief Minister stated that upon taking oath, he had pledged to fill vacant posts on priority. Following this, record recruitments have been made. The Chief Minister stated that an attempt is being made to disrupt the recruitment process through the CBI investigation, whereas the government’s objective is to recruit with transparency and timeliness. The government will not allow any injustice to be done to any youth due to delays in recruitment.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami stated that the state government has implemented a new Minority Education Act in the state. Under this law, from July 1, 2026, only madrasas will be able to operate in Uttarakhand that teach the curriculum prescribed by our government board. Additionally, religious gurus teaching in madrasas who, without any educational qualifications, were compromising the future of children solely on religious grounds, will be reined in.
On this occasion, Education Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat said that the number of students passing the board exams with first division has increased by 18 percent this year. Improvement exams are also being conducted, which will help students:
