Born in a daily labourer’s family, Kannekanti Sudev Yashwant of Ibrahimpatnam worked hard and graduated as an engineer (ECE) from the Nuzvid IIIT on the strength of scholarships. Just as he was wondering what to do next, he managed to make it to the list of 30 candidates whose master’s education overseas will be sponsored by the State Government under the B.R. Ambedkar Overseas Study Programme.
“It is a dream come true. I wanted to pursue my Master’s and gain international exposure,” said a beaming Yashwant, who is scheduled to go to the US on August 11 to pursue a Master’s degree in computer science at Texas A&M. The State Government plans to send 300 candidates like Yashwant for overseas education in different countries. This year it has shortlisted 30 candidates for the programme. The second batch will be finalised in January 2016.
Under the programme, the government sponsors each candidate to the tune of Rs 10 lakh. An additional Rs. 5 lakh will be facilitated as a loan from the Scheduled Caste Corporation, said Social Welfare Minister Ravella Kishore Babu.
In 2013, 66 candidates were sent overseas for higher education from the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, 48 from Telangana and 18 from Seemandhra. In 2014, 32 candidates were so sponsored.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu presented cheques for Rs. 10 lakh each to the selected candidates here on Saturday. Among the 30 candidates, six candidates, three male and three female, hail from Krishna district. The candidates said they were screened by a team of senior officials in Hyderabad. Chatla Mallika haails from Chimalapadu village in A. Konduru mandal in Krishna district. Her father is a tenant farmer. She completed the engineering course from Nuzvid IIIT and is travelling to the US for her master’s in civil engineering at Alabama University. Didla Vamsi from the city and his father D. James is a lorry driver. He is an engineering graduate and is heading to the US for a PG programme in computer science at New Hampshire University.
P. Ajay Kumar from Penumalauru, born into a low-income family. He completed his B. Tech from Andhra Loyola College and he too is heading to Texas A&M for a master’s programme in computer science. P. Krishna Manjira hails from Challapally. Her parents too are daily labourers. An engineering grad from R.V.R and J.C College, Guntur, she bagged a seat in the IT programme at Maryhordin Belar University. T. Aparna is from Bhavanipuram and the daughter of car driver. She bagged a seat in the computer science programme at Polytechnic University, California.
