Teachers of degree colleges and education department officials will adopt TB patients

Dehradun | March 4, 2025

A comprehensive public awareness campaign will be launched to make the state free from anemia and tuberculosis (TB) by 2025. Teachers and students from schools, colleges, and universities will play a crucial role in this initiative.

To ensure the success of the campaign, teachers from all government colleges and officials from the education department will adopt one TB patient each under the Ni-Kshay Mitra program.

On Tuesday, Minister for School and Higher Education, Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat, held a joint meeting of the Higher and School Education Department at the government residence. It was decided that both departments would participate in the Anemia and TB-Free India Campaign as part of their social responsibility by conducting awareness programs across the state.

Teachers and Education Officials to Support TB Patients

Dr. Rawat stated that to make this campaign successful, senior officials from both departments have been instructed to create a detailed action plan. Under this plan, education officers and higher education teachers will voluntarily become Ni-Kshay Mitras, adopting one TB patient each and supporting their treatment for a year.

Awareness Programs in Schools & Colleges

Additionally, a step-by-step awareness campaign will be conducted across schools and colleges to eradicate anemia. This initiative will ensure participation from students, teachers, and parents. Experts will conduct workshops and seminars at educational institutions to educate people about malnutrition and ways to eliminate anemia.

Moreover, in collaboration with the Health Department and social organizations, students will be screened for TB and anemia to achieve the goal of making the entire state TB and anemia-free by 2025.

Current Success in TB Eradication

Cabinet Minister Dr. Rawat mentioned that under the National Health Mission, the TB-Free Campaign has already been running successfully. So far, around 14,000 TB patients have been adopted by various institutions, departments, and individuals, and many have recovered.

He also highlighted that 5,000 villages in the state have already been declared TB-free, which is a remarkable achievement.

Officials Present at the Meeting

The meeting was attended by:

• Ranjit Sinha (Secretary, Higher Education)
• Banshidhar Tiwari (Director General, School Education)
• Prof. Anju Agarwal (Director, Higher Education)
• Prof. M.S.M. Rawat (Advisor, RUSA)
• Prof. K.D. Purohit
• Ajay Kumar Naudiyal (In-charge Director, Basic Education)
• Dr. Mukul Sati (In-charge Director, Secondary Education)
• Byomkesh Dubey (Deputy Secretary, Higher Education)
• Padmendra Saklani (Additional Director)
• Along with other departmental officials.