Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy releases Rs 680 cr to empower higher education

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has disbursed Rs 680 crore under the 'Jagananna Vidya Deevena' scheme to benefit a staggering 932,235 students pursuing fields like engineering, medicine, polytechnic, and ITI.

Addressing a huge public meeting on the occasion at Chittoor's Nagari town 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.

The Jagananna Vidya Deevena scheme 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, the YSRCP government had 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, Reddy 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, subject-teacher concept from class 3 and improved facilities in Government schools, he added.

"While TOEFL training will help students improve communication skills, introduction of job-oriented curriculum and verticals in higher education will help students face the competition in the job market at national and international level," Reddy said, adding that soon students will also be able to pursue courses containing IB syllabus.

"So far, the Government has paid Rs 11, 317 crore under Vidya Deevena alone and Rs 4275 crore under Vasathi Deevena," the Chief Minister said and asked mothers to visit colleges and find out the facilities and quality of teaching.

He suggested them they can lodge complaints on toll-free number 1902 and also on Jaganannaku Chebudam helplines for resolving the issues.

The Chief Minister laid foundation stones for a model police station and a boys' residential school and inaugurated a 100-bedded hospital.

On an appeal from the local MLA and Tourism Minister RK Roja, Reddy announced the withdrawal of electricity duty on powerlooms and promised to expedite the work relating to three reservoirs of Galeru Nagari Sujala 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 would be cleared.

Ministers RK Roja, B Satyanarayana, P Ramachandra Reddy, KV Ushasri Charan and M Nagarjuna and a host of leaders and officials were present.