State-level board to boost research in thrust areas

AP State Research Board was being established to boost research in thrust areas and efforts were initiated to set up a State Assessment and Accreditation Council for enhancing quality in higher education, Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu informed the Assembly here on Thursday.

The Education Sector got the highest allocation in this year’s budget with Rs.14, 962 crore for School Education, Rs.3049 crore for Higher Education and Rs.585 crore for Intermediate Education.

Presenting the budget for 2015-16 in the Assembly, he said the government has a clear vision for developing the State into an international educational hub in the next few years.

“It is planned to develop the State not only into a knowledge society but also as a destination for a broad spectrum of skills across the country and world,” he said.

He said a high power committee was constituted with eminent educationists to review the AP Universities Act, 1991 under the aegis of APSCHE for meeting modern requirements. Proposals were submitted to Government of India for Rs.1747 crore under Rashtriya Uchchtar Siksha Abhiyan (RUSA), a Centrally-sponsored scheme.

Under ‘Badi Pilustondi’ programme, about 6,33,528 children were enrolled into class one and another 25,923 out-of-school children were admitted into schools. Mid-Day Meals was being served in 37,635 schools covering 44 lakh children.

During 2014-15, 48 new primary schools were opened, while Government of India sanctioned 163 model schools and an amount of Rs.492 crore was spent on them, Rs.302 lakh on each towards buildings, furniture, computers and laboratories.

Referring to Intermediate Education, he said there were 444 government and 131 private aided junior colleges in the State. Government introduced “Incentive Junior Colleges” scheme for establishment of private junior colleges in “college-less mandals”.