Anandiben Patel stresses quality education, skill development, NAAC rankings, and women empowerment
Lucknow, 07 May (H.S.): Uttar Pradesh Governor and Chancellor of State Universities Anandiben Patel chaired a review meeting with principals of government and aided colleges affiliated to Maharaja Suheldev University, Azamgarh, at the Gandhi Auditorium of Jan Bhavan on Wednesday.
During the meeting, principals from various colleges presented detailed reports on their institutions’ academic activities, co-curricular programmes, skill development initiatives, and student engagement efforts.
Addressing the gathering, the Governor highlighted that the process of self-enumeration for house listing and house counting under the first phase of Census 2027 has commenced in Uttar Pradesh. She appealed to citizens to actively participate by providing accurate and factual information through the designated portal to ensure the campaign’s success.
Focusing on women’s empowerment, Anandiben Patel said both the Central and State governments are implementing several welfare schemes for women and urged colleges to ensure that maximum students benefit from these initiatives.
She stressed the importance of introducing technical and skill-development courses in colleges to help students become self-reliant and financially empowered. The Governor encouraged institutions to promote vocational and creative activities such as cooking, sewing, embroidery, mehndi, yoga, music, and technology-based training, enabling students to pursue part-time income opportunities alongside education.
The Governor also spoke extensively about improving institutional performance in NAAC and NIRF rankings. She noted that universities across Uttar Pradesh have been regularly guided by Raj Bhavan regarding quality benchmarks and ranking standards, which has yielded positive outcomes.
Citing Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Agra, as an example, she said the university secured an A++ grade from NAAC despite various challenges due to the dedicated efforts of its Vice Chancellor, faculty members, and administration.
She urged colleges to participate actively in ranking and accreditation processes and emphasised that consistent teamwork, proper planning, and sustained efforts can lead to significant institutional growth.
The Governor further instructed teachers to maintain punctuality and focus on quality education while engaging students in skill-building and creative activities. She also stressed the importance of conducting social outreach and awareness programmes in nearby villages, noting that such initiatives positively contribute to NAAC evaluations.
Anandiben Patel directed principals to disseminate the guidance received during the meeting among faculty members and students and form dedicated teams to work on institutional goals and ranking parameters.
Praising the talent displayed by students during presentations, the Governor said educational institutions must provide appropriate platforms for nurturing creativity and innovation. She also advised colleges to assign specific NAAC-related responsibilities to different teachers to ensure systematic preparation.
Encouraging students to participate in Olympiad examinations, she referred to her tenure as Gujarat’s Education Minister, where skill development and co-curricular activities received significant emphasis. She also shared that children are currently being trained in flute playing at Jan Bhavan and suggested that similar creative programmes should be promoted in colleges.
The Governor further announced that students excelling in yoga would be invited to Raj Bhavan after June 21. Addressing the issue of teacher shortages, she directed colleges to submit vacancy requisitions to the government to facilitate timely recruitment.
She also highlighted the need to involve students in NCC, NSS, and Agniveer training programmes.
Speaking on emerging opportunities, Anandiben Patel noted that Uttar Pradesh’s Defence Industrial Corridor is rapidly expanding across cities including Lucknow, Kanpur, Jhansi, Agra, Aligarh, and Chitrakoot. She urged colleges to make students aware of career opportunities in defence manufacturing and technology sectors.
The Governor also stressed aligning educational systems with the National Education Policy (NEP). She directed colleges to adopt the Samarth portal for all academic and administrative processes, from admissions to examinations, to ensure transparency and efficiency.
She further called for increasing student enrollment, developing green campuses, promoting regular yoga activities, and undertaking tree plantation drives.
Higher Education Minister Yogendra Upadhyay, addressing the meeting, said that Uttar Pradesh’s higher education sector has witnessed transformational growth under the continuous guidance of Governor Anandiben Patel. He stated that universities in the state are now performing strongly in national and international rankings, making Uttar Pradesh the highest-ranked state in the country in higher education.
He urged principals to implement the Governor’s suggestions and strengthen the guru-shishya tradition while promoting sports, innovation, and skill development for students’ holistic growth.
Special Officer to the Governor Dr. Sudhir Mahadev Bobde explained the objectives of the programme and highlighted the successful implementation of the Samarth portal across universities, which has improved transparency and administrative efficiency.
Vice Chancellor of Maharaja Suheldev University, Professor Sanjeev Kumar, expressed gratitude to the Governor and credited her guidance for the progress of higher education institutions in the state. He also highlighted the university’s initiatives in promoting e-libraries and introducing a QR-based digital library access system for students of affiliated colleges.
Several senior officials, including Special Officer (Education) Dr. Pankaj L. Jani, Special Secretary of the Higher Education Department Badrinath Singh, Director Higher Education B.L. Sharma, along with Raj Bhavan officials and dignitaries, were present at the event.
(With inputs from H.S.) Inputs & Images courtesy: Hindusthan Samachar (H.S.)
Edited by: Dikshita Bollu
Last Updated on: Thursday, May 7, 2026 11:44 pm by Bollu Dikshitha | Published by: Bollu Dikshitha on Thursday, May 7, 2026 11:44 pm | News Categories: India
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