Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday, November 15, launched the second phase of a scheme aimed at distributing tens of lakhs of tablets to young people across the state. Addressing an event at the Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow, he kicked off the latest round of distribution under the Swami Vivekananda Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana.
More than 50,000 students and trainees representing 300 educational institutions across the districts of Lucknow, Hardoi, Sitapur, and Unnao were scheduled to receive their devices during the gathering. Overall, a total of 2.5 million young individuals are slated to receive tablets in this ongoing second phase, following an initial distribution of 6 million devices in the first phase.
During his address, Adityanath encouraged the youth to draw inspiration from historical figures such as Birsa Munda, Swami Vivekananda, Rani Lakshmibai, and Chandrashekhar Azad to actively contribute to national development. He emphasized that the tangible transformation witnessed across Uttar Pradesh stems directly from the confidence and dedication of its younger demographic.
Noting that India stands as the world's youngest nation and Uttar Pradesh represents its youngest state, the Chief Minister pointed out that youth comprise about 56 percent of India's overall population, while their share within Uttar Pradesh ranges between 56 and 60 percent. Marking Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas on the birth anniversary of Birsa Munda, he recalled how the freedom fighter challenged British rule and advocated for independence at a young age.
The Swami Vivekananda Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana was originally initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic on December 25, 2021, coinciding with the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The program was created to address educational disruptions and bridge the digital divide for students lacking access to proper technology. The state administration has established a broader goal to equip two crore young people with tablets and smartphones.
Concluding his remarks, the Chief Minister urged students to leverage the digital devices for academic advancement, utilize online libraries, and stay informed about technological and societal developments globally. He noted that the hardware distributed during the initial phase successfully aided students in taking online examinations and furthered digital entrepreneurship opportunities throughout the region.