Latest news with #PankhuriTripathi
NDTV
07-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
School Girl Drops Out After Father's Accident. How Yogi Adityanath Helped Her
Gorakhpur: A class 7 student in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur, who sought Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's help after her parents were unable to pay the school fees, was enrolled again on Monday. The girl, Pankhuri Tripathi, met Mr Adityanath at a 'Janta Darshan' (a public grievance redressal program) in Gorakhpur on July 1 and appealed for financial support, saying that her father, Rajiv Kumar Tripathi, quit his job after he sustained a critical leg injury in an accident. "I want to study, but my family is unable to pay the school fees," she told Mr Adityanath. The Chief Minister then assured the girl that her education would not be disrupted. "Either your fees will be waived, or we will arrange the amount," he promised. Ms Tripathi, however, on Saturday, said the management at her school, Saraswati Shishu Mandir, had refused to waive her fees and misbehaved with them. "I had gone to the Chief Minister with a fee waiver request. He gave me a chocolate and assured me that it would be done. But when I went to school with my father, they misbehaved with us. We were told that the fee couldn't be waived. They said that if more parents sought a fee waiver, the school wouldn't be able to function. They said they have to pay teachers," she said. "My father broke down. No one had ever spoken to him like this. But I trust that the Chief Minister will not let my dream shatter. I will work hard and become an IAS officer," she said. The school officials then enrolled her after receiving a letter from Gorakhpur's Basic Education Officer. "On 01.07.2025, in the Janta Darshan program, Ms Pankhuri Tripathi requested admission in class 7 of your institution, mentioning the poor financial condition of her family. You are requested to consider the request and admit her to class 7 of your institution," Ramendra Kumar Singh said in a letter dated July 5. After the admission, the girl and her father thanked Mr Adityanath for the support.
NDTV
06-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Yogi Adityanath Assured Class 7 Girl Fee Waiver. School Said Not Possible
Gorakhpur (UP): A Class 7 girl's appeal for financial support that can help fulfill her dream of becoming an IAS officer has snowballed into a political row in Uttar Pradesh. Pankhuri Tripathi's family suffered a major setback after her father, Rajiv Kumar Tripathi, sustained a critical leg injury in an accident and had to quit his job. The family sought help from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who assured them that her education wouldn't face obstacles. The Class 7 student says the school management has refused to pardon her fees and stressed that there is no such provision. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has now targeted the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and offered to support the girl's education. Pankhuri's family hopes the Chief Minister will intervene and help her work towards fulfilling her dream. Pankhuri Tripathi studies at Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Gorakhpur's Pakkibag. The school, run by RSS education wing Vidya Bharati, charges Class 7 students a monthly fee of Rs 1,650. Pankhuri has dues of about Rs 18,000. "I had gone to the Chief Minister with a fee pardon request. He gave me a chocolate and assured me that it would be done. But when I went to school with my father, they misbehaved with us. We were told that the fee couldn't be pardoned. They said that if more parents sought a fee pardon, the school wouldn't be able to function. They said they have to pay teachers," she said. "My father broke down. No one had ever spoken to him like this. But I trust that the Chief Minister will not let my dream shatter and I will work hard and become an IAS officer," Pankhuri said. Gorakhpur is a stronghold of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He is the head priest of the Gorakhnath Math and served as Gorakhpur MP five times before taking over as the state's Chief Minister. Akhilesh Yadav, who heads the state's main Opposition Samajwadi Party, has now taken a swipe at the ruling party over Pankhuri's remarks. "We promise that her education won't stop. This is the truth of the BJP's fake slogans of 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'. We urged the BJP not to lie to children," Mr Yadav said in a post on X. Pankhuri's father Rajiv Tripathi said he worked outside the state before the Covid pandemic. "When I was at home during the pandemic, I slipped off the terrace and suffered a leg injury. I lost my job. Both my children study in English-medium schools. My son studies in Class 12, and my daughter is in Class 7. I was struggling to pay their fee and my daughter did not go to school after February. It is my son's last year in school, so I did not want to disrupt his education. I thought of taking my daughter out of school for a year. Then it struck me that I could approach the Chief Minister for help. We went to Janata Durbar on July 1 and sought his help. He immediately asked officials to ensure that my daughter's education does not stop," he said. "The school administration, however, said there is no such provision. They said that if every parent manages to get a fee pardon, the school will shut down. They misbehaved with us. When I saw my daughter crying, I broke down too," he added. On hearing that Mr Yadav had tweeted about the issue and offered help, Mr Tripathi said, "He has tweeted. But we are associated with the Math and Maharaj ji (referring to Yogi Adityanath) and we believe he would ensure my daughter's education." NDTV reached out to the school administration, but they refused to comment on the matter. An education department official said the state government has written to the school administration and a positive response is expected shortly.
