Uttarakhand teenagers have turned policy wonks, with 2,67,744 Class 11 and 12 students submitting essays to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami under the “My Dream Uttarakhand” campaign. That is over nine in ten of the state’s 2,96,426 senior secondary pupils. Invited at the August 10 “Yuva Vidyarthi Manthan”, students wrote on tourism, jobs, social development, forests, education, health and technology. Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Udham Singh Nagar and Chamoli recorded complete participation, while Dehradun contributed 47,358 entries from 63,666 pupils. A team of experts and Dhami is now sifting through this remarkable homework.
BJP appoints eight spokespersons in state
The state has now expanded its media chorus, naming eight state spokespersons with president Mahendra Bhatt’s approval. The appointments stretch from Dehradun to Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital, Kotdwar and Rishikesh, giving the party a broader regional pitch. The standout entrant is Anukriti Gusain, daughter-in-law of senior Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat, whose inclusion adds a distinctly political subplot. State media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said the expansion was designed to sharpen the organisation’s media outreach and showcase the government’s work.
Dreams from the borderland take wing
A group of students from Kumaon’s border villages brought energy to Lok Bhavan on Monday, sharing stories from their Operation Sadbhavana National Integration Tour with Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd). Organised by 101 Field Regiment under 119 Independent Infantry Brigade, the journey has introduced them to leading institutions, inspiring personalities and India’s varied heritage. The governor offered practical homework: preserve photographs, maintain a daily notebook, and record how ambitions changed along the way. He encouraged them to dream beyond entering the Army and aspire to its top leadership.
Narendra sethi
Our correspondent in Uttarakhand
narendrasethi@newindianexpress.com