Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has been taking keen interest in developing the education sector by ushering in reforms to raise the educational standards, especially in schools. An allocation of ₹32,618.46 crore has been made to the general education sector against ₹24,185.75 crore the previous year. However, the budget for the technical education wing shrunk to ₹580.29 crore this year from ₹818.02 crore the previous year.
Amma Vodi
The Amma Vodi programme designed to boost admissions in the government schools by giving incentives of ₹15,000 to mothers who send their children to schools, gets an allocation of ₹6,455 crore. The programme aims at covering 43 lakh mothers of students up to Intermediate education.
To improve facilities in the State-run schools on a par with the corporate institutions, the government plans to revamp government schools and earmarked ₹1,500 crore for infrastructure development.
Presenting the budget, Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy said a Regulatory and Monitoring Commission was being constituted to control and regulate fee structure and improve quality of education. The committee would directly report to the Chief Minister, he said.
Mid-day meal
The mid-day meal scheme serves the dual purpose of education and nutrition of the children. For effective implementation of this programme, the government increased the monthly wages of cooks-cum-helpers from ₹1,000 to ₹3,000 and allocated a budget of ₹1,077 crore for the purpose.
Vidya Deevena
In addition to 100 % fee reimbursement to students belonging to the SC, ST, BC, Minorities, Kapu, EBC and differently-abled categories and those pursing post-matric courses, the government will provide an annual financial support of ₹20,000 to each of the beneficiaries under the Jagananna Vidya Deevena scheme. Funds to the tune of ₹4,962.3 crore were allocated for it.
Besides, a YSR School Maintenance Grant of ₹160 crore was earmarked in addition to ₹100 crore for construction of centralised kitchens by Akshaya Patra Foundation that supplies food for the meal scheme.
