Context

The Uttar Pradesh government is set to fully implement the Samarth Portal across all universities and colleges in the state by the academic year 2025-26. 

• This initiative is part of the government’s mission to transform higher education into a more transparent, efficient, and technology-driven system. 

Features of Portal

• The Samarth system supports implementation of 14 public interest guarantee services within universities, enabling quicker grievance redressal and streamlining of administrative workflows
• The portal is cloud‑based, open‑source, and provides data security, enabling access from anywhere and reducing reliance on third-party ERP vendors.
• The Samarth platform is designed to streamline administrative processes in higher education institutions. These functions will be managed entirely through this digital platform, reducing administrative overhead and improving workflow efficiency.  

About the Portal

• Samarth is an e‑governance digital platform developed to unify and streamline administrative and academic processes across universities and colleges in Uttar Pradesh.
• It serves as a centralized ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system, facilitating functions such as:
• Admissions, Examinations and result processing, Salary and expense management, Leave tracking, Faculty promotions and research grant administration which will enhance Transparency and accountability.

Current Status

• By July 2025, all government universities and affiliated colleges in Uttar Pradesh have registered on the Samarth portal and many are already actively using it for key administrative operations like admissions, salary processing, and leave tracking.
• All student admissions will now be conducted through a single unified portal, ensuring greater uniformity and transparency. 

Why it Matters

• It will increase and enhance transparency in administration Admission and faculty promotion processes become visible and trackable.
  
• The portal will upgrade and provide enhanced citizen service  Students and researchers benefit from faster access to information and services.
  
• Uniform digital adoption: Standardizes systems across all institutions, reducing errors and speeding up workflows.

Context

• Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the State with highest number of Amrit Sarovars.

About the News

• Uttar Pradesh achieved a major milestone by constructing 16,630 Amrit Sarovars—three times its goal of 5,550 ponds—since 2022, as part of its ‘Groundwater Week’ initiatives
• Additional efforts included the Khet Talab Yojana and ‘One District–One River’ scheme, with 29 districts recording groundwater level improvements.
• This makes UP the national leader in Amrit Sarovar implementation, ahead of other states like Madhya Pradesh (5,839 ponds) and Chhattisgarh (2,902 ponds).
• Also, complementary to this, the Khet Talab Yojana has led to the construction of 37,403 farm ponds since 2017–18, with farmers receiving up to 50% subsidies.

About Mission Amrit Sarovar

• Mission Amrit Sarovar is a significant initiative launched by the Government of India to rejuvenate and develop water bodies across the country. Launched on 24th April 2022, this initiative aimed at rejuvenating and constructing 75 Amrit Sarovars in each district, totalling about 50,000 Amrit Sarovars across the country.

Context

• Under the ongoing drive to revive and revitalise the rivers of State work on Suaon River and Tedhi River has shown prominent results.

About the News

• Under the 'One District–One River' mission, two previously extinct rivers—the Suaon River in Balrampur and the Tedhi River in Bahraich—are undergoing restoration.
• The efforts include via desilting, afforestation, and intensive manpower deployment (13,749 man-days) through MNREGA support.
• The Pollution-blocking silt and drains are being cleared while riverbanks are being reforested by the State Government
• The Tedhi River is undergoing desilting, vegetation clearing, and flow restoration to boost irrigation, groundwater retention, and ecological balance.

Broader Regional Strategy & Support

• The UP government has launched a tech-enabled campaign targeting the revival of 75 small/tributary rivers with support from IIT Kanpur, IIT (BHU), IIT Roorkee, and BBAU Lucknow. 
• These institutes are developing custom plans including stream cleaning, rainwater harvesting, and watershed activities.
• A divisional monitoring committee oversees implementation at the local level via Ganga committees.

Other Major Goals: Revival of 50 Rivers Spanning 3,363 km

• A major collaborative campaign by State Government through Namami Gange and MNREGA—has brought 50 rivers across 1,011 gram panchayats back to life. 
• The Activities include cleaning, deepening, embankment reinforcement, planting along banks, and pond construction (3,388 ponds).
• It is benefiting farmers and improving groundwater levels. Another 86 projects are now in the pipeline.

Why This Matters

• The mission showed Scale & Speed as Multiple rivers, from small tributaries to 100+ km stretches, restored within weeks.
• Model Emergence: Noon, Pili Nadi, and Suaon/Tedhi all rivers act as replicable templates of ecosystem restoration projects for the State and Ecological Restoration.
• Multidimensional Approach: Strategic tech inputs (drones, sensing), massive public participation under MNREGA, collaborating institutes and local committees, all shows it became a Jan-Andolan.
• Socio-economic impact: Boosts irrigation, groundwater recharge, livelihoods, and ecological resilience boosting state's ecological economy and a source for Employment.
• Cultural alignment: Restoration timed with pilgrimage and heritage sites to encourage public buy-in.