SAHARANPUR, UP — A unique educational initiative with a political twist has been launched by the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district. Following a directive from party chief Akhilesh Yadav, local leader Alam Gada has opened a “PDA Pathshaala” (community school) in Ramnagar to provide basic education to children.
The “PDA Pathshaala” — named after Yadav’s acronym for Pichda (Backward), Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (Minority) — has so far enrolled over 60 students. However, the school’s curriculum has drawn attention for its unconventional teaching methods. Instead of the traditional “A for Apple” and “B for Ball,” students are reportedly being taught “A for Akhilesh Yadav,” “B for Babasaheb Ambedkar,” “C for Chaudhary Charan Singh,” and “D for Dimple Yadav.”
Alam Gada described the school as a “movement,” criticizing the BJP-led state government for allegedly shutting down schools. “Akhilesh Yadav has directed us to open a ‘PDA Pathshaala’ wherever schools have been closed,” he said in a statement.
The initiative comes after Akhilesh Yadav’s recent criticism of the Yogi government’s “school pairing” policy, which he called a conspiracy to deny education to marginalized sections of society. In a post on ‘X’, the former chief minister warned that his party would open PDA Pathshalas in every village affected by the policy. He further alleged that the BJP is weakening the state’s education system to expand its political infrastructure.
