It is only with education, that one can come out of the yoke of poverty and secure a better future for the generations to come, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said after he distributed schools kits worth Rs 931 crore under the Jagananna Vidya Kanuka scheme at Adoni in Kurnool district on Tuesday, July 5. A total of 47,40,421 government school students of Classes I to X received the kit costing Rs 2,000 each.
Addressing a gathering of children and parents, Jagan reiterated that education is the greatest and the most valuable asset that can be offered to children. "Only education can change the fate of children and give them the confidence to live anywhere in the world and compete at a global level," the CM remarked.
Elaborating on the various schemes, such as Mana Badi, Nadu-Nedu, Amma Vodi, and Jagananna Gorumudda, initiated by the government over the past three years, Jagan asserted that his was the only government in the country, which was more focused on the future of the students and striving to ensure they are sufficiently equipped to face global competition.
Jagan said Vidya Kanuka was being implemented for the past three years even though the cost of its implementation was increasing with the rise in the number of beneficiaries.
“In the academic year 2020-21, each kit was valued at Rs 1,530 and was distributed to over 42 lakh students at an expenditure of Rs 650 crore. In 2021-22, the cost of the kit increased to Rs 1,726 and was given to over 45 lakh students at a cost of Rs 790 crore. For the current academic year, each kit costing Rs 1,964, was distributed to 47 lakh students with an expenditure of Rs 931 crore,” he explained.
The kit comprising three pairs of uniforms, bilingual textbooks, workbooks, notebooks, a schoolbag, shoes, a belt, two pairs of socks and an Oxford Dictionary was given to the newly admitted students and to those who had lost their previous one. He said the government was providing the school kits to children, as it did not want the parents to take the burden of paying for the essentials and let it become an excuse for school dropouts.
Elaborating on the MoU signed with BYJU'S, the CM said the government will provide tablets to 4.7 lakh Class VIII students with the EdTech major's content uploaded on them, free of cost. “The tabs will be provided in September. The main objective is to enable the students to successfully write Class X CBSE exams in English medium in 2025. The government will spend Rs 500 crore to procure the tablets."
Stating that in his three years of governance, the overall admissions in government schools across the State increased by 7.2 lakh, Jagan said a total strength of 44.3 lakh students registered in the academic year 2021-22.
Taking a dig at the previous TDP government, he said the former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu failed to implement even one worthwhile programme for the students.
Alleging that the previous government did not even clear the fee reimbursement dues, Jagan stated that the amount spent on the mid-day meals programme and Sampoorna Poshana was very meagre.
On the occasion, the CM interacted with the students and also checked the kits to see whether all the contents were in place. Later, he announced plans to take up developmental projects in Adoni.
Ministers Botsa Satyanarayana, Gummanuru Jayaram, Adoni MLA Sai Prasad Reddy, party leaders, and various other officials were present.
