In this hard-hitting episode of “News That Matters”, we dive deep into the shocking reality behind school closures across Uttar Pradesh during the annual Kanwar Yatra. From Saharanpur to Ghaziabad, Badaun to Muzaffarnagar, thousands of government schools have been shut from 16th to 23rd July 2025, not due to natural calamities or health emergencies — but for the so-called “maintenance of law and order” during a religious procession. But what does that really mean? Are school children creating chaos on the streets? Are they rioting, damaging property, or threatening public order? No. And yet, every year, schools are closed for days — sometimes weeks — citing the Kanwar Yatra. This episode questions the priorities of the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government. Why is education — the backbone of any society — always the first casualty? Why can’t the state manage both education and religious sentiments responsibly? The episode highlights shocking statistics: over 25,000 government schools permanently closed in UP in the past decade, crumbling infrastructure, 1.2 lakh vacant teacher posts, and a government machinery that springs into action only for religious events — not for children’s education.