Lucknow, Aug 16 (IANS): A total of 79,400 girls have completed their courses at 746 branches of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) in Uttar Pradesh despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The Uttar Pradesh government ensured that classes did not stop for a single day at all branches of the school spread over 746 development blocks.

The classes were conducted through e-pathshala, Doordarshan and WhatsApp. Besides, educational programmes were also organised for students on YouTube.

Out of the 746 KGBVs, 446 are for girls studying between classes 6 to 12 and 300 for classes 6 to 8.

Apart from education, Kasturba Gandhi Girls' schools also offer residential facilities to the girls belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, minorities and Below Poverty Line families, said a state government spokesman.

A large number of girls in the state are getting a chance to study and progress through these schools that have been upgraded and educational standards have improved in the state.

The syllabus has been changed and training is being imparted in schools to hone teachers' skills.

Concrete efforts have been made to ensure that quality education is accessible to boys and girls from every section of the society.

Dialogue sessions are also organised with KGBV children on YouTube in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, on the topic 'Safety and mental health of children affected by Covid-19'.

A Prerna Portal Monitoring System has been developed for quality operation of KGBV.

The system enables the departments concerned to monitor the school infrastructure, attendance of staff and children, grading of schools, security arrangements, etc.

The Yogi Adityanath government is empowering girls by holding self-defence training and scout guide-related activities through 'Meena Manch' as well as organising vocational courses and skill development programmes.