The Uttar Pradesh government has announced the launch of the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee-Chevening Uttar Pradesh State Government Scholarship Scheme in partnership with the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). Approved during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, this initiative aims to provide higher education opportunities to talented students from the state in the United Kingdom.

Under the scheme, five meritorious students from Uttar Pradesh will receive scholarships annually to pursue a one-year Master’s degree program at a prestigious UK university. The scholarship will cover tuition fees, examination and research costs, a monthly living allowance, and round-trip economy airfare. The selection process will follow a fair and transparent procedure as per the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the state government and the FCDO.

The program will be implemented from the 2025–26 academic year and will run for three years. The state government will contribute approximately ₹23 lakh (£19,800) per student, while the FCDO will bear the remaining cost of around £38,000–£42,000.

In addition to the scholarship scheme, the cabinet approved two major policies to promote industrial growth and employment generation: the UP Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Industrial Estates Management Policy and the UP Footwear, Leather and Non-Leather Sector Development Policy-2025. The MSME policy will allow industrial plots to be allocated through e-auctions on a lease/rent basis, with reserved prices fixed region-wise—₹3,000 per sq meter in Paschimanchal, ₹2,500 in Madhyanchal, and ₹2,000 in Purvanchal/Bundelkhand, with an annual 5% increment.

The footwear and leather policy aims to boost exports, encourage technological upgrades, and create jobs through special incentives and skill development programs. The cabinet also approved the Uttar Pradesh Rural Population Records Bill-2025, simplifying updates and amendments to property records under the Swamitva Yojana for ownership transfers via inheritance, sale, court orders, or family agreements. Revenue officials will have the authority to make these updates in straightforward cases.

Additionally, two new private universities—K.D. University in Mathura and Bodhisattva University in Barabanki—were approved under the Uttar Pradesh Private University Act, 2019. K.D. University will be established on 50.54 acres in Mathura, while Bodhisattva University will be built on 25.31 acres in Barabanki, expanding higher education opportunities in the state.