Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, addresses the ‘Uttar Pradesh Statehood Day’ ceremony in Lucknow

1. At a Glance

• Event: Union Home & Cooperation Minister Amit Shah addressed the Uttar Pradesh Statehood Day (UP Day) ceremony at Rashtra Prerna Sthal, Lucknow on 24 January 2026 (Saturday) as Chief Guest [S1][S2].
• Forum used to spotlight UP's repositioning from a "BIMARU" to the 4th-largest state economy, the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme, and a new One District One Cuisine (ODOC) launch [S2].
• UPSC relevance: cooperative federalism, state-led growth models, MSME/artisan-cluster schemes, and centre–state political economy of "double-engine" governance [S2].

2. Why in the News

• 24 Jan 2026: Shah, as Chief Guest of UP Day, launched ODOC, inaugurated the Sardar Patel Industrial Zone Programme, presented awards under the CM YUVA (Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Yojana) scheme, and conferred the Uttar Pradesh Gaurav Samman 2025-26 [S2].
• Venue: the newly built Rashtra Prerna Sthal, inaugurated by PM Modi on 25 Dec 2025 on Atal Bihari Vajpayee's 101st birth anniversary [S3][S4].

3. Background & Evolution

• UP Day observed on 24 January every year — date the United Provinces was renamed Uttar Pradesh (United Provinces was constituted 1937; renamed UP on 24 Jan 1950 under the new Constitution); celebration formalised by UP Govt in 2018 [S1].
• ODOP — launched by UP Govt in Jan 2018; adopted as a central scheme under MoFPI / DPIIT thereafter; now flagship artisan/MSME cluster programme [S2].
• Rashtra Prerna Sthal — conceived as a national memorial complex; built at ~₹230 crore over 65 acres, with 65-ft bronze statues of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Pt Deendayal Upadhyaya, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, plus a lotus-shaped museum of ~98,000 sq ft [S3][S4].

4. Core Static Facts

• Date of address: 24 January 2026 [S1].
• Venue: Rashtra Prerna Sthal, Lucknow [S2].
• Speaker portfolio: Union Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Cooperation [S2].
• Schemes referenced / launched:
• ODOP (One District One Product) — pan-India employment for artisans, youth, women [S2].
• ODOC (One District One Cuisine) — newly launched at the event [S2].
• Sardar Patel Industrial Zone Programme — inaugurated [S2].
• CM YUVA (Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Yojana) — UP state scheme; district awards conferred [S2].
• Honour conferred: Uttar Pradesh Gaurav Samman 2025-26 [S2].
• Claimed economic status of UP: 4th-largest state economy in India [S2].
• Stated long-horizon target: UP to be a fully developed state by centenary of Independence (2047), pillar of Viksit Bharat [S2].
• Memorial: ₹230 cr, 65 acres, 65-ft statues of Mookerjee, Deendayal, Vajpayee; lotus-museum ~98,000 sq ft [S3][S4].

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

• Economic
• UP repositioned from BIMARU (Bihar–MP–Rajasthan–UP, term coined by demographer Ashish Bose, 1985) to 4th-largest state GSDP per Shah's claim [S2].
• ODOP model leverages district-level GI-style clusters (Bhadohi carpets, Moradabad brass, Varanasi silk, etc.) for export-led MSME growth [S2].
• Social
• Schemes pitched at artisans, youth, women — touches handicrafts informal sector, female labour-force participation, reverse migration from a former labour-exporting state [S2].
• Administrative / Federalism
• "Double-engine government" framing — political-economy narrative for Centre–State alignment as a delivery accelerator [S2].
• Historical / Cultural
• Rashtra Prerna Sthal institutionalises Jana Sangh / BJP ideological lineage (Mookerjee–Deendayal–Vajpayee) as state memory infrastructure [S3][S4].
• Governance
• District-level competitive federalism via UP Gaurav Samman and CM YUVA awards mirrors NITI Aayog's Aspirational Districts approach [S2].

6. Recent Developments (last 12–18 months)

• 25 Dec 2025: PM Modi inaugurates Rashtra Prerna Sthal, Lucknow on Vajpayee's 101st birth anniversary [S3][S4].
• 23 Jan 2026: PIB advisory announces Shah as Chief Guest for UP Day, 24 January, Saturday [S1].
• 24 Jan 2026: Shah launches ODOC, inaugurates Sardar Patel Industrial Zone Programme, confers UP Gaurav Samman 2025-26 [S2].

7. Prelims Hooks

• UP Statehood / UP Day is observed on 24 January [S1].
• Rashtra Prerna Sthal is located in Lucknow, inaugurated by PM Modi on 25 Dec 2025 [S3].
• Statues at Rashtra Prerna Sthal honour three leaders: S P Mookerjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya, A B Vajpayee — each 65 ft bronze [S4].
• Cost of Rashtra Prerna Sthal complex: ~₹230 crore; area 65 acres; museum ~98,000 sq ft, lotus-shaped [S3][S4].
• ODOP: pan-India scheme; originated in Uttar Pradesh (2018) [S2].
• ODOC (One District One Cuisine): launched by Union Home Minister at UP Day 2026 [S2].
• Sardar Patel Industrial Zone Programme inaugurated at UP Day, Lucknow, 24 Jan 2026 [S2].
• CM YUVA = Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Yojana (UP state youth entrepreneurship scheme) [S2].
• Honour conferred at the event: Uttar Pradesh Gaurav Samman 2025-26 [S2].
• Shah holds dual portfolios: Home Affairs + Cooperation (Ministry of Cooperation created 6 July 2021) [S2].
• Target horizon for "Viksit UP": 2047 (centenary of Independence) [S2].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: Government policies — schemes for vulnerable sections (artisans, women); cooperative federalism; centre–state relations.
• GS-III: Indian economy — MSME, employment generation, cluster development (ODOP); inclusive growth.
• GS-I: Post-independence consolidation — naming/reorganisation of states (United Provinces → Uttar Pradesh, 1950).
• Question stems: 1. "ODOP has evolved from a state-level cluster initiative to a national MSME strategy." Critically examine its impact on artisan livelihoods and export competitiveness. 2. "The BIMARU framework is increasingly anachronistic for Uttar Pradesh." Discuss in light of recent GSDP and human-development trends. 3. Discuss the role of state-level memorial and identity infrastructure (e.g., Rashtra Prerna Sthal) in shaping cooperative federalism and national integration.

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• One District One Product (ODOP) — DPIIT/MoFPI flagship; export hubs.
• PM Vishwakarma Yojana — artisan-focused; complements ODOP.
• BIMARU states & demographic transition — Ashish Bose framework; SDG India Index.
• Ministry of Cooperation — newly created 2021; Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act.
• PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PMFME) — uses ODOP approach.
• Aspirational Districts Programme (NITI Aayog) — district-level governance benchmarking.
• State Reorganisation history — United Provinces → UP (1950), States Reorganisation Act 1956.
• GI tags of UP — Banarasi saree, Lucknow chikankari, etc. — overlap with ODOP catalogue.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• ODOP ≠ ODOC: ODOP (Product, since 2018, MSME); ODOC (Cuisine, launched 24 Jan 2026 at UP Day) — distinct schemes [S2].
• UP Day = 24 January (not 1 November — that is Madhya Pradesh / Chhattisgarh / Karnataka / Kerala formation day); confusion with Republic Day date is also common [S1].
• Rashtra Prerna Sthal inaugurated by PM Modi (25 Dec 2025), not by Amit Shah; Shah addressed a subsequent ceremony there [S3][S2].
• Ministry of Cooperation is a separate ministry (2021), not a wing of Agriculture; Shah heads it concurrently with MHA [S2].
• ODOP was originally a UP state scheme (2018) before central adoption — frequently misattributed solely to the Union government [S2].

11. Sources

• [S1] Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah to address 'Uttar Pradesh Day' as chief guest in Lucknow on 24 January, Saturday — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2217256 — (tier 1)
• [S2] Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah addresses the 'Uttar Pradesh Statehood Day' ceremony in Lucknow — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2218209 — (tier 1)
• [S3] PM to Inaugurate Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2208004 — (tier 1)
• [S4] Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurates Rashtra Prerna Sthal in Lucknow, UP — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2208531 — (tier 1)