States » NorthPosted at: Oct 27 2026 8:27PM


'There was a time when it was difficult for girls to go to school; today, they return home fearlessly even at 2 AM': CM Yogi

Lucknow Oct 27 (UNI) "It used to be difficult for girls to go to school in Uttar Pradesh. In several districts of western Uttar Pradesh, families were compelled to send their daughters to other states for education. Today, those same daughters return home fearlessly after completing their duty, even at 2 AM," said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Addressing a media organization's Youth Icon Conclave in the state capital on Tuesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted the transformation in the state's law and order situation.
He said, "Nine and a half years ago, Uttar Pradesh faced two major challenges: identity and security. When traveling outside the state, people had to hide their identity, while within the state, they worried about their safety. Today, Uttar Pradesh is recognized for its talented youth, industries, and achievements."
At the program, 37 Youth Icons from various fields, including sports, entrepreneurship, art, culture, social work and digital creation, were honored.
Congratulating them, Chief Minister Yogi said their success would inspire millions of young people to move forward.
Using the example of the ‘Before and After’ reels popular on social media, Chief Minister Yogi narrated Uttar Pradesh's transformation over nine and a half years in eight frames.
The first frame highlighted the state's identity and law and order; the second, merit-based opportunities in government recruitment instead of recommendations; the third, government jobs for sportspersons; and the fourth, youth becoming employment providers. The fifth frame focused on modern technology, the sixth on the economy, investment and infrastructure, the seventh on employment through faith and tourism, and the eighth on the role of youth in building Viksit Bharat.
The Chief Minister said Uttar Pradesh's journey also tells the story of a transformation in young people's confidence and the opportunities available to them.
He said, "Before 2017, families in several districts of western Uttar Pradesh were concerned about the safety of their daughters. Affluent families sent their daughters to other states for education, while going to school itself was a challenge for daughters from low-income families."
He cited the example of women employees at HCL in Lucknow. He said that women commute from Barabanki, Unnao and Sitapur to work night shifts.
During a recent interaction with them, he had asked whether they faced any difficulty returning home at night. The women said that even when their duty ended at 2 AM, they returned home fearlessly.
The Chief Minister described this as an example of the transformation in law and order.
Chief Minister Yogi said that criminals and mafias once wielded influence in Uttar Pradesh. Now, mafias have been reduced to dust and criminals are selling bananas.
He said the state once faced a situation akin to 'One District, One Mafia'.
In contrast, the One District One Product initiative today recognizes each district's distinctive products.
The state has 96 lakh MSME units, employing more than 3.25 crore people. The government is also providing ₹5 lakh in insurance cover.
Citing an example of the recruitment system before 2017, the Chief Minister said, after his government came to power, "a case came to light in which a person had neither applied nor appeared for an examination, yet had received an appointment letter".

He alleged that recommendations and financial transactions had dominated recruitment earlier.
Now, selection is based on merit. Over the past nine and a half years, the government has made 9.5 lakh appointments.
The Chief Minister stated, "The target was to provide government jobs to another one lakh young people over the next six months. The government will issue appointment letters to about 4,500 sub-inspectors next week. The recruitment process for more than 32,000 police constables has been completed."
He also mentioned appointments through Home Guards and various recruitment commissions.
He said, "The state government has introduced a system for appointing sportspersons to government service based on their medals. Around 1,400 sportspersons have been given government jobs so far."
Citing examples of Parul Chaudhary, Rajkumar Pal and Lalit Upadhyay, he said sportspersons who win medals for the country receive both recognition and employment in the state. The government's message is: “Win a medal for the country and get a position in Uttar Pradesh.”
The Chief Minister said, "Before 2017, the state had only 120 startups, a number that has now risen to 25,000. The state has created a ₹1,000 crore Fund of Funds. Under the Chief Minister Yuva Udyami Yojana, arrangements have been made to provide interest-free and collateral-free loans to one lakh young people every year."
Calling it the government's own ‘Shark Tank’, he said the scheme doesn't even require young people to give up equity. He said, "The number of employees at HCL's Lucknow campus had increased from around 100 to 12,500. The company has advertised to recruit another 6,000 young people. The BrahMos project has employed 500 young people in the state. The state government has also received ₹35 crore in GST from the sale of missiles."
Chief Minister Yogi said the Cabinet approved a new Cyber Security headquarters on Tuesday. Work is underway on an AI City in Lucknow, drone technology in Kanpur and robotics in Noida. He said that AI can provide a decision, but a human being must remain the decision-maker.
The Chief Minister said the state's economy grew from ₹12 lakh crore to ₹36 lakh crore and that the state received investment proposals worth ₹50 lakh crore. He said the expansion of expressways, airports, and other infrastructure facilities in the state has created new employment opportunities.
Faith and tourism are also boosting the local economy. Chief Minister Yogi said that when India celebrates the centenary of its Independence in 2047, today's youth will be leading in different fields. Therefore, they must prepare for the future from now on through their talent and hard work.
He urged young people to stay aware of voting, saying that registering their names on the electoral roll and casting their votes are not only rights but also democratic duties. Young people should remain mindful of their responsibilities along with their rights.
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