CM Promised Help, But School Refuses to Waive Fees: Class 7 Girl's Dream of Becoming an IAS Officer in Limbo

A heartfelt appeal by a Class 7 student to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath brought hope—but that hope now hangs in the balance.

Pankhuri Tripathi, a young student from Uttar Pradesh who dreams of becoming an IAS officer, approached CM Adityanath at a Janata Durbar on July 1, requesting a waiver of her school fees. Moved by her determination, the CM promised support. “Either your fees will be waived, or we’ll arrange the amount,” he reportedly told her, even offering her a chocolate during the conversation.

However, despite the Chief Minister's assurance, the school—run by Vidya Bharati, the education wing of the RSS—has refused to waive her fees. According to sources, the school charges ₹1,650 per month for Class 7 students, and Pankhuri's dues have piled up to around ₹18,000.

“When we returned to the school with hope, they refused to help and even misbehaved with us,” Pankhuri said. “They said there’s no provision for a fee waiver. They told us that if they waive one child’s fees, others will also ask for the same, and they won’t be able to pay teachers.”

Her father, Rajiv Kumar Tripathi, explained their financial hardship. During the pandemic, he suffered a serious leg injury after falling from their terrace, which led to him losing his job. Since then, the family has struggled to make ends meet.

“I didn’t want to affect my son’s education—he’s in Class 12, his final year. So, I thought we’d take Pankhuri out of school for now,” Rajiv shared. But unwilling to let his daughter’s future slip away, he decided to appeal to the CM directly.

The Chief Minister’s assurance gave them hope. But the school’s rejection has left the family disappointed, even though they still have faith. “We are connected to the Math and Maharaj ji (Yogi Adityanath), and we believe he will stand by his word,” Rajiv said.

The issue has sparked political reactions. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took a swipe at the BJP and CM Adityanath, calling this incident the “truth behind BJP’s slogans.”

“Those who are busy hoarding, how will they waive or pay someone's fees?” Yadav posted on X. He criticized the BJP's “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” slogan, calling it hollow and deceptive. He also pledged that Pankhuri’s education would not be allowed to suffer.

As of now, Pankhuri remains out of school, waiting for the help she was promised—and holding on to her dream.