UP to form welfare board for nomadic tribes

Virendra Singh Rawat

For the composite development of the nomadic tribes, the Uttar Pradesh government will constitute a dedicate welfare board for the community.

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced this decision at the Vimukt Jati Diwas celebration yesterday.

“Communities like Nat, Banjara, Bawariya, Sasi, Kanjad, Kalbeliya, Sapera and Jogi are brave tribes who fought as warriors during foreign invasions.” Yogi said.

He noted these tribes fought with indomitable courage against the Mughals and the British.

The CM said in 1871 the British enforced the Criminal Tribes Act and declared these communities as criminals by birth.

Even after independence, this stigma continued until 1952. With the efforts of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, on August 31, 1952, these communities were freed from this social tag.

inding pasture for livestock or traditional occupations.

However, a majority of such tribes are known to have settled at specific places and joined the mainstream of society.

“The Vimukt Jati Diwas reminds us of that historic moment when these communities understood the true meaning of freedom. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the last 11 years the central and state governments have been working with full sincerity for the welfare of Vimukt Jati and nomadic tribes," Yogi added.

He said several schemes have been implemented in the fields of education and housing for these tribes.

Jai Prakash Narayan Sarvodaya Schools are being operated in nine districts, and two residential Ashram-style schools have been started, while 101 residential schools are already running.

The UP government is providing facilities ranging from accommodation and food to uniforms for students there.

Apart from this, in 264 government hostels for Scheduled Castes, special facilities are being provided for children of Vimukt Jatis.

Citing the example of the Vantangiya community, the CM said his government gave them the status of revenue villages and the right to vote and also built houses, schools, and hospitals for them.

Similarly, schemes have been implemented for Musahar, Kol, Tharu, Gaur, Chero and Sahariya communities, while communities like Kumhar, Nishad and Rajbhar have also benefited from government schemes.

He said Vimukt Jati and nomadic tribes will also be given land leases and voting rights.

The CM said the youth from nomadic tribes have been selected in police recruitment, which is proof that the UP government is providing equal opportunities to all sections without discrimination.

Yogi targets poverty-free UP by 2027

Virendra Singh Rawat

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has set the target of making the state poverty-free by 2027.

In 10 months alone, the state government has identified 1.332 million of UP’s poorest families under the Zero Poverty Campaign.

Of these, more than 372,000 families are already receiving multi-dimensional benefits, underscoring the Yogi government’s commitment to uplifting the underprivileged.

Yogi first announced the campaign in his Independence Day address on August 15, 2024, and officially launched it on October 2, 2024.

The mission aims to ensure that no family is left deprived of basic needs or social security, with a target to identify at least 25 ultra-poor families in every Gram Panchayat.

Each family is being linked to housing, employment, healthcare, education and livelihood opportunities to secure long-term transformation under the drive.

As of August 2025, Azamgarh leads with 42,082 families identified, followed by Jaunpur (39,374), Sitapur (36,571), Hardoi (30,050), and Prayagraj (28,935).

Special drives with panchayats and voluntary organisations are accelerating outreach in these districts.

Yogi has emphasised that the campaign goes beyond financial aid, and seeks to eliminate poverty entirely by 2027.

Identified families are being integrated with flagship schemes such as PM Awas Yojana, Mukhyamantri Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ujjwala Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, and MGNREGA, alongside support for education and women’s empowerment through self-help groups.

With data-driven tracking, close monitoring and grassroots transparency, the Zero Poverty Campaign is fast emerging as a transformative mission to make UP poverty-free, with active participation from society at large, an official said.

Yogi 2.0 to showcase ‘Made in UP’

Virendra Singh Rawat

Amid the tariff conundrum, the Uttar Pradesh government is bracing up to showcase ‘Made in UP’ and ‘Swadeshi’ themes at the forthcoming UP International Trade Show (UPITS).

The 5-day extravaganza will be hosted during September 25-26 at the India Expo Mart, Greater Noida with the overarching aim of giving the UP MSMEs a global marketing platform.

The UPITS has established itself as a powerful platform to showcase the state’s strength on the global trade map.

The success of the 2023 and 2024 editions has demonstrated that under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s leadership, UP is making a mark not only in the domestic market but also in international trade, a senior official said.

The third edition is expected to be even larger, with higher participation, greater investment opportunities, and record-breaking export prospects, he added.

Launched as a pilot project, the UPITS made an impressive debut in 2023 with over 2,000 exhibitors, 350 foreign buyers from 60 countries, nearly 300,000 visitors, and business volumes crossing Rs 1,000 crore.

The second edition in 2024 raised the bar further. With Vietnam as the partner country, UPITS hosted 2,122 exhibitors, 350 foreign buyers from 70 countries, and around half-million visitors.

Export orders worth more than Rs 2,200 crore were secured through B2B and B2C interactions, alongside direct exhibition sales exceeding Rs 40 crore.

 Notably, the top 20 entrepreneurs from districts including Meerut, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Mathura, and Greater Noida alone bagged export orders worth over Rs 630 crore.

Beyond trade figures, UPITS has also given global recognition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Vocal for Local’ initiatives.

The Yogi government’s policies on ODOP (One District One Product), startups, MSMEs, employment and export promotion have infused fresh momentum into the event.

Special strategies are being crafted for UPITS 2025, where along with traditional products, high-tech sectors are also expected to attract significant investment and export opportunities.

With its growing global footprint, the trade show is poised to further cement UP’s position as a leading hub for international business.

Economic Survey paints a rosy picture of Indian economy

 

Virendra Singh Rawat / July 22, 2024

The Economic Survey 2023-24 painted a rosy picture of the Indian economy, which the report claimed had exhibited resilience in the face of several many geopolitical upheaveals.

The 476-page Economic Survey 2023-24 was presented in Parliament by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

It underlined that India's economy has rebounded post pandemica. Indian policymakers played a crucial role in facilitating economic and financial stability.

"For the recovery to be sustained, there has to be heavy lifting on the domestic front because the environment has become extraordinarily difficult to reach agreements on key global issues such as trade, investment, and climate," the Survey read.

Public investment has been pivotal in sustaining capital formation, with the private sector starting to invest considerably since FY22.

The survey pointed out that the headline inflation is under control, although a few food items remain elevated.

Trade deficit in FY24 was lower vis-a-vis FY23, with the current account deficit around 0.7% of GDP even as the forex reserves remain robust.

National income data shows expansion in non-financial private capital formation in FY22 and FY23 after a decline in FY21.

Despite a slide in investment in machinery and equipment during FY20 and FY21, there was rebound.

Early corporate data for FY24 indicate capital formation in the private sector continued to expand at a slower rate.

Global economic growth posted 3.2 per cent in 2023 per the April World Economic Outlook.

India’s economy carried forward the momentum it generated in FY23 into FY24 despite a gamut of external challenges.

India's real GDP grew by 8.2% in FY24, exceeding 8% in three out of four quarters of FY24. The focus on maintaining macroeconomic stability ensured that external challenges had minimal impact on India’s economy.

Inflationary pressures stoked by global troubles, supply chain disruptions, and vagaries of monsoons were deftly managed by administrative and monetary policy responses.

UP launches virtual evaluation of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs

Virendra Singh Rawat / July 16, 2024

To upgrade the healthcare ecosystem, Uttar Pradesh will implement virtual evaluations for the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.

Previously, the NQAS team conducted time-consuming physical verifications of these health units.

With this, the number of NQAS-certified Ayushman Arogya Mandirs is expected to increase rapidly, thus significantly improving the quality of health services and providing better healthcare.

The number of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in India has surpassed 170,000 with over 17,000 located in UP.

Earlier, the union health ministry launched 'Ayushman Bharat, Quality Health' to faciliate a marked improvement in public healthcare infra.

Two other major initiatives include the introduction of a dashboard for the Indian Public Health Standard (IPHS) and smart food licenses for food vendors.

Additionally, revised guidelines were issued for NQAS and Kayakalp certification for integrated public health laboratories.

Pinky Jowel, Mission Director of the National Health Mission, has issued a directive mandating that each district must conduct virtual evaluations of 10-20 medical units every month. 

Jowal emphasised upon the goal of having 50 percent of the state's health units certified by NQAS by 2025 and all health units certified by 2026.

Nishant Kumar Jaiswal, General Manager of the National Health Mission, informed that 275 medical units in UP have received NQAS certification so far.

UP alert over Covid variant ‘Omicron’

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / Nov 29, 2021

The Uttar Pradesh government has sounded alert over new Covid-19 mutant ‘Omicron’ detected in several countries including South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana.

All inbound travellers from these countries will be subjected to strict screening and genome sequencing to mitigate spread of infection. The airports have come under higher vigilance and scrutiny.

In his advisory, UP additional chief secretary, medical and health, Amit Mohan Prasad has instructed all the chief medical officers (CMO) to screen travellers arriving from, or transiting through, these countries.

Their samples will be collected for genome sequencing, and the district surveillance officers will follow-up with their contacts as well. Genome sequencing is a tool to check if a certain variant of Covid is present in the population.

Meanwhile, strict vigil will be kept on foreigners coming to Agra, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Lucknow and Kanpur.

Besides, the state health department has asked premier medical institutes, including Lucknow based SGPGI and King George’s Medical University (KGMU), where patients come from abroad for treatment, to compulsorily screen all patients.

Modi dedicates Rs 23,000 crore Purvanchal Expressway

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / Nov 16, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday dedicated to public the 341 km Purvanchal Expressway that cuts across nine districts in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.

It entailed an investment of about Rs 23,000 crore. Modi arrived in Sultanpur district for the inauguration ceremony aboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) Hercules aircraft and landed on the Purvanchal Expressway airstrip. An air show comprising IAF fighter jets viz. Mirage and Sukhoi was also held.

Addressing the gathering, the PM clubbed prosperity and national security, while he flayed the previous governments for doing precious little to enhance the country’s defence capabilities.

He observed Purvanchal Expressway will facilitate the emergency landing of fighter jets. “The air show will scare those elements who have neglected our defence capability needs for decades.”

The expressway spans Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur. It will connect the socioeconomically laggard Eastern UP (Purvanchal) region to the National Capital Region (NCR) via Agra-Lucknow Expressway and Greater Noida-Agra Yamuna Expressway.

Modi noted good connectivity was vital for industrial development. “The expressway, which has cost more than Rs 22,000 crore, will spur investment to the tune of several lakh of rupees and create lakhs of job opportunities.”

At present, four expressway projects totalling Rs 80,000 crore have been undertaken by the Yogi Adityanath government. These comprise 341 km Purvanchal Expressway, 296 km Bundelkhand Expressway, 91 km Gorakhpur Link Expressway and 600 km Ganga Expressway.

“We need balanced development for ensuring composite development and to alleviate disparities between different regions. The Purvanchal Expressway will put UP on the path of faster development, enhance its stature and spur all round growth in different sectors,” Modi said.

In his address, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the project was completed in record time despite pandemic. “We are giving due importance to improving the infrastructure including roads, expressways, metro trains etc. UP will play a vital role in realising the PM’s vision of propelling India as the world’s leading economy.”