In an apparent jibe at the opposition Samajwadi Party, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said those who described copying during board exams as a birthright had pushed the state’s youth into an identity crisis.Chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the launch event of the cashless medical treatment scheme for teachers. (PTI PHOTO)He made the remark after launching the Mukhyamantri Shikshak Cashless Chikitsa Suvidha Scheme (Chief Minister’s Cashless Medical Facility Scheme) for teachers and other staff members, including shiksha mitras, instructors and cooks, of primary and secondary schools in the state at a ceremony held at the Trade Facilitation Centre auditorium in Varanasi.He noted that 12 lakh personnel would benefit from the cashless scheme.He also transferred funds via DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) for items such as shoes, socks, bags, and stationery for children. A total of ₹1,320 crore was transferred to the accounts of parents of over 1.10 crore children ( ₹1,200 each) across the state.Without naming anyone, Adityanath said, “There was a leader in Uttar Pradesh who had said that copying is our birthright. If cheating itself is considered a birthright, what can one say?”Adityanath said the culture of organised cheating had created an identity crisis for the youth of Uttar Pradesh.“Today, an environment of malpractice-free (cheating-free) education has been established in the state. We will not allow anyone to jeopardise the future of our youth or compromise the country’s future and integrity,” he said.The chief minister said there was a time when educators from Uttar Pradesh were invited to teach in other states, but later, “people pursuing their selfish interests completely ruined” the state’s education system.Invoking Acharya Chanakya, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan as role models, Adityanath said a nation guided by teachers like Chanakya could never become weak or vulnerable to external forces.He remarked that launching this scheme from the cultural capital of India—a land steeped in spiritual tradition—would propel the initiative to greater heights.During the event, the chief minister handed over cashless medical facility cards to 15 teachers.UP minister Anil Rajbhar stated that the event embodies the chief minister’s resolve to move forward with the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ (Together with all, Development for all, Trust of all).In the chief minister’s presence, additional chief secretary (basic and secondary education department) Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, and Deepesh Raj, chief general manager, State Bank of India (Lucknow Circle) exchanged an MoU under the social security initiative for teachers and other personnel working under the basic education department.CM FELICITATES PRINCIPALS, HEADMASTERSChief minister Yogi Adityanath felicitated 12 principals/headmasters from Uttar Pradesh whose schools were selected at the national level under the Clean and Green School initiative.They were chosen for their outstanding efforts in developing a better school environment through cleanliness, safe drinking water, toilets, handwashing facilities, maintenance, and overall school hygiene.Before reaching the stage, the chief minister interacted with children, asked their names and observed the various models they displayed at an exhibition. He also encouraged children with disabilities, boosting their enthusiasm and distributing chocolates to them. “Under the NIPUN Bharat Abhiyan, Class 3 students appeared proficient in forming and reading sentences,” he said.The principals and headmasters felicitated by the chief minister included Kapil Kumar Malik (Sambhal), Manish Kumar (Pilibhit), Harishankar Tripathi (Chitrakoot), Rajeev Singh (Bareilly), Sangeeta Sharma (Badaun), Ashish Pratap Singh (Rae Bareli), Sanjeev Kumar (Saharanpur), Kaiser Jahan (Shravasti), Vandana Verma (Jalaun), Javed Khan (Prayagraj), Nagesh Kumar Mishra (Varanasi) and Dr Ritu Diwan (Meerut).