AI varsity a defining step towards building modern India: UP CM
'Blending education, technology and cultural heritage, the new institution is set to become a hub for innovation and a key pillar of the National Education Policy,' the CM added. He said the new university aligns with India's AI mission and initiatives like Start-up India and will play a vital role in elevating Uttar Pradesh's presence on national and global platforms.
Yogi described Unnao as a land steeped in literature, culture, and history — blessed by the Ganga and home to icons of India's freedom struggle and literary renaissance. He recalled the legacy of figures like Raja Rao, Ram Baksh Singh and poets such as Pt Pratap Narayan Mishra, Nirala and Hasrat Mohani. 'Now, the district is poised for a technological leap with the establishment of the new campus of Chandigarh University,' he said.
The university, he said, will not only be a hub of modern education but will also bridge India's ancient knowledge systems with cutting-edge technical learning, aligning with the NEP's multidisciplinary spirit to foster research, innovation and holistic growth.
The CM said one of the biggest challenges facing educational institutions has been their isolation — functioning like 'islands' with limited outreach. He noted that students often remained unaware of key government schemes meant for their benefit, hindering timely career planning.
Emphasising a shift in approach, he said academic institutions must evolve into platforms for career guidance, life building, and industry-oriented skill development. Campuses, Yogi said, should not only impart education but also serve as gateways to opportunity, connecting students with relevant initiatives and preparing them for the modern workforce.
He said nearly 60 lakh youths in Uttar Pradesh have been provided tablets and smartphones to promote digital empowerment. Yogi said the government revised land norms to allow private universities on 50 acres in rural areas and 20 acres in urban areas. This reform has led to the establishment of 23 new private universities in the last eight years, bringing the total to 47.
'Uttar Pradesh now hosts the country's first Ayush University, its first state medical university, and is constructing its first sports university in Meerut, along with the Mahatma Buddha Agricultural University in Kushinagar,' the CM said.
While encouraging the youth to contribute to nation-building, Yogi emphasised that a combination of modern and value-based (cultured) education is the foundation of a bright future for India.
The CM announced that Unnao district alone is witnessing the rollout of investment projects worth ₹22,000 crore. He added that the state government is simultaneously strengthening infrastructure, with the capacity of the Police Training College—named after Shaheed Gulab Singh Lodhi—being doubled and ₹235 crore invested in the state fire training centre.
Yogi announced that an ambitious AI city project is underway in Lucknow, aiming to create over 50,000 jobs with participation from more than 400 companies. IBM will lead the establishment of the AI centre, he said.
Industrial development minister Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi', higher education minister Yogendra Upadhyay, Chandigarh University chancellor and Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu, Unnao MP Sakshi Maharaj and UP chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh were present on the occasion.
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