Education is the key to development; life is incomplete without education – Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai

In Short

Chief Minister participated in the centenary celebrations of Government Jagtu Mahara Bastar High School

Chief Minister Sai announced the construction of a post-matric hostel building, including Rs. 1.5 crore for the renovation of Jagtu Mahara Bastar High School

Raipur: Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai attended the centenary celebrations of Government Jagtu Mahara Bastar High School in Jagdalpur on Monday November 17, 2025 .

Addressing the centenary celebrations of Bastar High School, Chief Minister Sai extended his heartfelt greetings to the school family on its centenary. He said that education is the key to development; life is incomplete without education. Education has been of utmost importance in India since ancient times. Scholars from abroad used to come to prestigious universities like Nalanda and Takshashila to acquire knowledge.

Chief Minister Sai said that institutions like Bastar High School and Narhardev Vidyalaya in Kanker have been important centers of education in the Bastar region. He explained that when this these school was built in 1926, there must have been a severe lack of resources.

However, over the past hundred years of development, the school has produced countless promising students who have made significant contributions in various fields, bringing glory to the school. Many of these alumni attended the ceremony today and expressed their best wishes for the institution’s continued progress.

Chief Minister Sai congratulated everyone on the completion of twenty-five years of the state’s formation. On this occasion, he announced ₹1.5 crore for the renovation of Jagtu Mahara Bastar High School and the construction of a post-matric hostel. He also assured priority for all other needs of the school.

At the event, Chief Minister Sai presented two drones, donated by Shailendra Singh Thakur to the school, as a token gift. He also agreed to provide 50 drones to the school, which will further promote technical education.

During the program, Chief Minister Sai unveiled the centenary celebration plaque at Jagtu Mahara Government Multipurpose Higher Secondary School, Jagdalpur. He also inaugurated two smart classrooms built in the memory of the late Thakur Devendra Singh and the late Sharda Thakur. The Chief Minister planted a Parijat tree under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign on the school campus.

The centenary celebrations were formally inaugurated by hoisting the flag and lighting a lamp in front of a photograph of Goddess Saraswati, the giver of knowledge. A school souvenir was also released on this occasion.

Chief Minister Vishni Deo Sai served food to school students at a feast organised in memory of the father of Srinivas Rao Maddi, Chairman of Chhattisgarh Beverages Corporation. Additionally, he paid tribute to seven former students of Jagtu Mahara Bastar High School who were martyred while serving in the police and security forces by laying flowers on their photographs.

On this occasion, Education Minister Gajendra Yadav, while congratulating the school on its centenary celebrations, said that this day is a proud moment for this historic school, which was established in 1926 before independence. It is a memorable moment for former teachers and alumni.

He noted that many students who received education from this institution are playing a vital role in the development of society through various services. He urged the current students to learn from their elders and assured them of fulfilling all the school’s needs.

Alumnus of the school and MLA from Jagdalpur, Kiran Singh Deo, shared his experiences, saying that in the undivided Bastar district, Bastar High School and Narhardev High School in Kanker were the main educational institutions, where students from the entire region studied. He added that alumni of this institution are today serving society as IAS officers, doctors, engineers, professors, successful businessmen, and entrepreneurs. He paid tribute to the contribution of the old teachers and requested for renovation of the school and fulfillment of other needs. At the beginning of the program, the school’s Principal, B.S. Ramkumar, informed about the glorious history of the school through a report.

On this occasion, Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap, MP (Bastar) Mahesh Kashyap, MLA (Chitrakoot) Vinayak Goyal, Chairman of Chhattisgarh Beverages Corporation Srinivas Rao Maddi, Chairman of Chhattisgarh State Scheduled Tribe Commission Roop Singh Mandavi, District Panchayat Chairperson Vedvati Kashyap, Mayor Sanjay Pandey, Commissioner Doman Singh, IG Sundarraj P., Collector Haris S., Superintendent of Police Shalabh Sinha, along with former and present students of the school were present.