With Diwali days away, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami turned his official residence into a broadcast studio on Thursday, November 5, 2026 — connecting virtually with nearly 8 lakh school children across the state through the flagship programme 'Dil ki Baat, Uncle Dhami ke Saath' ('Heart-to-Heart, With Uncle Dhami'). From remote Himalayan villages to valley towns, one CM and hundreds of thousands of children — all on the same screen at once.

'Dil ki Baat' and the classroom it built across the mountains

The programme is designed to do what geography makes hard in Uttarakhand: reach everyone. CM Dhami described its core purpose as maintaining 'continuous engagement with the children of the state, encouraging their talent, and providing guidance on education, culture, ethical values, and important life subjects.' Using digital infrastructure, the session bridged students in distant hill districts with those in the state's urban centres — a persistent challenge for a state whose terrain keeps communities scattered across deep valleys and high ridgelines.

Dhami opened on a warm, conversational note — asking children about their families and their Diwali preparations before moving into the substance of his message. The deliberate informality was the point: not a minister addressing students, but, as the programme's name signals, an uncle talking to children.

Diwali as a lesson: cleanliness, safety, and 'Vocal for Local'

The CM wove the festival season into three distinct calls to action. First, cleanliness: Dhami urged children to help clean their homes during Diwali and to treat hygiene as a daily habit, explicitly citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, launched nationwide in 2014. 'Our small individual efforts can together make a significant contribution to keeping our state and country clean,' he said.

Second, safety: children were asked to stay away from firecrackers and to light lamps and sparklers only under adult supervision. 'The real joy of festivals,' Dhami said, 'is when we keep ourselves safe and also look out for the safety of others.' Third, and with an economic edge: the CM urged students to light clay earthen lamps and buy products made by local potters and artisans, framing it as carrying forward PM Modi's 'Vocal for Local' call — an initiative the central government has promoted since 2020 to support domestic artisans and reduce import dependence. Supporting a local potter, Dhami argued, is not just commerce — it is sharing in that family's festive happiness.

Half-yearly exams, 'Vikalp Rahit Sankalp', and the AI upgrade ahead

Switching from festival to future, Dhami wished students well for their upcoming half-yearly examinations and introduced them to the phrase 'Vikalp Rahit Sankalp' — a resolution without alternatives. He explained it as moving forward toward a fixed goal 'with complete hard work, dedication, and firm determination' — no exit clauses, no fallback comfort. Study hard, play hard, and learn constantly, he told them: 'Let your talent illuminate the name of your parents, your state, and your country.'

He also flagged a significant precedent from the programme's earlier edition: more than 2.5 lakh students had submitted essays sharing ideas on Uttarakhand's development. Dhami said those suggestions carry real weight — useful inputs, he promised, will be considered in the design of future state plans and policies. The programme itself, he added, will be upgraded through AI and digital technology to become 'more useful in the future.'

Present at the event were Secretary (Education) Jyoti Yadav, Director General of Education Akanksha Konde, and Joint Director Govind Ram Jaiswal.

When a government treats a child's essay as a policy input, it is signalling something — and Uttarakhand's students now have both a hotline to the Chief Minister and a seat, however symbolic, at the planning table.