PNS|Vijayawada
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy released Rs. 680.44 crore towards ‘Jagananna Vidya Deevena’ for the second quarter of 2023 benefiting 9,32, 235 students. The amount would be directly credited into their mothers’ bank accounts.
Addressing a huge public meeting before releasing the amount with the click of a button here on Monday, the Chief Minister said the Government has been spending huge amounts on educational reforms as it strongly believes that education only can drive away poverty and other ills from society.
Jagananna Vidya Deevena was introduced to ensure 100 per cent fee reimbursement so that financial inability doesn’t come in the way of pursuing higher education, he said.
In the last four years, Government has spent Rs 69,289 crore on education alone implementing unique programmes like Jagananna Vidya Deevena, Vasathi Deevena, Amma Vodi, Videshi Vidya Deevena, Goru Mudda, Vidya Kanuka, YSR Sampoorna Poshana, Nadu-Nedu, and YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shadi Tohfa, he said.
The results are tangible in the distribution of tablets to students of class 8 digitalisation of teaching with IFPs from class 6, the introduction of English medium, bi-lingual textbooks, Byju’s content, the subject-teacher concept from class 3, and improved facilities in Government schools, he said.
While TOEFL training will help students improve communication skills, the introduction of job-oriented curriculum and verticals in higher education will help students face the competition in the job market at the national and international levels, he said, adding that soon students will also be able to pursue courses containing IB syllabus.
Vidya Deevena is being implemented for students pursuing ITI, Polytechnic, Degree, Engineering, Medicine, and other courses without any limit on the number of eligible children in a family.
So far, the Government has paid Rs 11, 317crore under Vidya Deevena alone and Rs. 4275 crore under Vasathi Deevena, the Chief Minister said. Under the scheme, quarterly fee reimbursement is made soon after the completion of the quarter.
He asked mothers to visit colleges and find out the facilities and quality of teaching and suggested they lodge complaints on the toll-free number 1902 and also on the ‘Jaganannaku Chebudam’ helplines to resolve the issues.
The Chief Minister laid foundation stones for a model police station and a boys’ residential school and inaugurated a 100-bed hospital.
On an appeal from the local MLA and Tourism Minister RK Roja, the Chief Minister announced the withdrawal of electricity duty on power looms and promised to expedite the work relating to three reservoirs of the Galeru Nagari Srujala Sravanthi project.
He also announced that the arrears of Rs 21 crore kept pending by the previous TDP Government to the employees of the SV Cooperative Sugar Factory at Renigunta were cleared.
Tourism Minister RK Roja, Education Minister B Satyanarayana, Energy Minister P Ramachandra Reddy, Women and Child Welfare Minister KV Ushasri Charan, Social Welfare Minister M Nagarjuna, several people’s representatives, and senior officials also attended the programme.
