Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday stated that approximately 562 Vidya Bharati schools are currently functioning across the state and providing education to about 1.25 lakh students. The remarks came during the Pratibha Samman Ceremony organised by Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan at the Government Secondary School in Roorkee, Haridwar district.
The event focused on honouring meritorious students who performed well in the High School and Intermediate Board examinations. Dhami congratulated the awardees and noted that such recognition helps build confidence and motivates young people to excel in academics and other areas of life.
Speaking about the organisation, Dhami said: “Vidya Bharati has reached every village, every house. Vidya Bharati has made our ideas reach everywhere in the state. I have been connected to these organisations, so I know that in difficult times, Vidya Bharati teachers and office bearers did a lot. Today, about 562 schools are operational, which are imparting education to 1.25 lakh students.”
He added that Vidya Bharati has built a strong foundation for education rooted in Sanatan culture, patriotism and Indian values. The Chief Minister also recalled the origins of the Saraswati Shishu Mandir movement, which began in Gorakhpur in 1952 and has since grown into a large educational network. According to the CM, Vidya Bharati currently imparts value-based education to nearly 4.5 million students across India.
During the ceremony, Dhami highlighted several steps taken by the Uttarakhand government to improve school education. He stated that Uttarakhand was the first state in the country to implement the National Education Policy (NEP), aiming to make learning more modern, practical and employment-oriented.
Among the measures he listed were the introduction of smart classrooms, free textbooks, distribution of shoes and school bags, the Chief Minister Meritorious Student Incentive Scheme, Bharat Darshan programmes, model colleges, IT laboratories and hostel facilities in government schools.
Vidya Bharati is one of India’s large non-government educational networks with a focus on combining formal academics with cultural and value-based learning. The presence of 562 schools serving 1.25 lakh students in Uttarakhand reflects a significant private contribution to school education in the hill state, particularly in areas where access to quality institutions can be limited by geography.
The Chief Minister’s participation in the ceremony and his public appreciation of the organisation’s work underline the state government’s engagement with institutions that promote education alongside Indian cultural values. At the same time, the government continues to expand its own initiatives under the NEP framework, including technology-enabled classrooms and student support schemes.
The combination of government programmes and organisations such as Vidya Bharati contributes to the overall educational landscape in Uttarakhand. Honouring high-performing students publicly helps create positive role models and encourages academic achievement. Continued expansion of facilities such as smart classrooms, hostels and incentive schemes aims to improve both access and learning outcomes, especially for students in remote and rural areas.
Dhami’s comments also placed the local network of Vidya Bharati schools within the larger national picture of an organisation that began more than seven decades ago and now reaches millions of students.
