The Chief Minister's Office of Uttar Pradesh announced on Wednesday, 8 July 2026 that the state government has transferred ₹1,320 crore into the bank accounts of parents of 1 crore 10 lakh children in the first phase of the 'School Chalo Abhiyan' (School Enrollment Drive). The funds are being provided to cover the cost of uniforms, school bags, books, sweaters, and shoes-socks, with each student receiving ₹1,200.

Context

The post, attributed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, states: 'Under the first phase of the School Chalo Abhiyan, an amount of ₹1,320 crore has been transferred into the accounts of parents of 1 crore 10 lakh children. Each student is being provided ₹1,200 for uniforms, school bags, books, sweaters, and shoes-socks.' The transfer is part of the state's annual back-to-school mobilisation campaign aimed at driving enrollment in government schools ahead of the academic session.

Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state, and its government school system serves tens of millions of children, making the scale of this Direct Benefit Transfer one of the largest single-phase education welfare disbursements in recent state history.

Policy Backdrop

The School Chalo Abhiyan has been a recurring feature of Uttar Pradesh's education calendar since at least 2017, designed to reduce dropout rates and boost enrollment by removing the financial burden on families at the start of each school year. The campaign operates within the broader framework of the centrally sponsored Samagra Shiksha scheme, launched in 2018-19, which integrates support for elementary and secondary education across states.

The Right to Education Act, 2009, mandated free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14 and required states to eliminate financial barriers to enrollment. Uttar Pradesh has progressively expanded its own state-level cash transfers to supplement central entitlements, channelling funds directly to families rather than through institutional procurement — a model aligned with the national emphasis on Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to reduce leakages.

Stakeholders and Impact

The immediate beneficiaries are the parents of 1.10 crore school-going children enrolled in government schools across Uttar Pradesh, each of whose families will receive ₹1,200 directly in their bank accounts. The per-student amount is intended to cover five specific items — uniform, school bag, books, sweater, and shoes with socks — ensuring children are equipped at the start of the academic year without out-of-pocket expenditure.

Economists and education researchers have noted that direct cash transfers for school materials tend to improve attendance and retention, particularly among girls and children from economically weaker sections, by reducing the indirect costs that often drive early dropout. The scale of this disbursement — covering over a crore children in a single phase — signals a significant administrative and financial commitment by the state.

What's Next

The announcement specifies this as the first phase of the School Chalo Abhiyan, indicating that subsequent phases are expected to follow, potentially covering additional beneficiary categories or topping up the initial transfer. Observers will watch for official data on enrollment figures and attendance rates in government schools following the disbursement, which would indicate whether the financial push translates into measurable gains on the ground. Any announcement of a second-phase timeline or revised budget allocation will be a key marker of the programme's trajectory for the 2026-27 academic year.