PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Rudrapur
Union minister of Tribal Affairs Jual Oram participated in cleanliness and awareness activities with students at the Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS), Bazpur, in Udham Singh Nagar district on Friday. After paying floral tributes to MK Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversaries, he participated in a cleanliness drive organised in the school premises along with students, teachers and members of the local community and also planted a sapling under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ initiative.
Interacting with the students, Oram emphasised the importance of maintaining cleanliness in the school, hostel and surrounding areas. He sensitised the students towards cleanliness, environmental conservation and responsible citizenship and called upon them to encourage positive behavioural change in their families and villages as well. He said that cleanliness is not merely an activity but a value to be adopted throughout life, contributing significantly to better health, dignity, environmental protection and sustainable development.
Enquiring about their studies, interests and future aspirations, the minister encouraged them to study diligently and strive to achieve their goals. He said, “Children possess immense talent and that providing them with quality education, adequate resources and sufficient opportunities to progress is a shared responsibility of the government and society. Ensuring quality education, better facilities and equal opportunities for children from tribal areas and connecting them with the mainstream of development is a priority of the government. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the Central Government is consistently working to strengthen the quality of education and facilities in remote and tribal areas and to provide better opportunities to children and youth. The endeavour is to enable talented children from tribal communities to achieve new heights in education and play an important role in nation-building,” Oram said.
The Union minister also said that efforts would be made to equip Eklavya Model Residential School, Bazpur, with the necessary facilities and resources and develop it as a centre of excellence. He emphasised creating an academic environment in the school that, in terms of facilities and educational quality, moves towards the standards of reputed institutions such as Sainik Schools and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas.
Oram also urged the students to adopt responsible behaviour in their daily lives and actively contribute to building a clean and healthy nation. He said that inculcating the values of cleanliness, environmental conservation and civic responsibility among tribal students is an important step towards strengthening the collective resolve of ‘Swachh Bharat, Viksit Bharat’. It is pertinent to mention here that Oram is on a four-day visit to Uttarakhand. During the visit, he will participate in various programmes and also attend the Uttarakhand Adi Rangotsav.
