CM Revanth Reddy launches Tamil Nadu govt scheme; says will offer Rs 2K stipend to ITI students in Telangana

Chennai: Taking inspiration from Tamil Nadu which provides a monthly assistance of Rs 1,000 to government school students who pursue higher education, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday announced that his government will provide a stipend of Rs 2,000 every month to students of ITIs, which are being upgraded as Advanced Technology Centers.

Addressing the ‘Tamil Nadu Excels in Education’ events organised by the state government, Reddy said the two states will take joint efforts to ensure that India wins at least one gold medal in the 2028 Olympics by training sportsmen.

He said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are not able to ensure a gold medal for India, Tamil Nadu and Telangana will realise the dream for the country.

He also offered to train sportspersons from Tamil Nadu in the newly established Sports University in Telangana.

Reddy and Stalin launched the fourth phase of the Pudhumai Penn and third phase of the Tamil Pudhalvan schemes that provide Rs 1,000 monthly assistance to government school students who enrol in colleges.

Drawing parallels between the two states, Reddy said Tamil Nadu and Telangana witnessed massive growth in the manufacturing sector and IT and pharmaceuticals sectors after liberalisation of the Indian economy in 1991.

“The Hyderabad–Chennai corridor became a critical industrial and knowledge belt, with ties in pharma, automobiles, electronics, and education. Since the formation of Telangana in 2014, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have collaborated in infrastructure, energy, and education projects,” he said.

Lauding Tamil Nadu’s education model that pioneered the mid-day meal scheme in schools, Reddy said south Indian states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana got inspired by the scheme and implemented it.

Reddy said since the syllabus at the Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) started in the 1950s have become outdated, his government has tied-up with Tata Group to upgrade the ITIs into Advanced Technology Centres at a cost of Rs 2,400 crore. “Inspired by the Tamil Nadu model, I announce here that we will provide Rs 2,000 every month as stipend to students of these institutes. These institutes will infuse a new level of confidence in them,” he added.

Reddy also said the Telangana government will launch primary sections in all government schools to increase the enrolment.

Contending that like Tamil Nadu, Telangana also believes investment in education is not charity but justice, a right, Reddy said he wants to tell everyone in India that education is a movement, a revolution, a path for social justice and progress.

In his speech, Stalin asked students in Tamil Nadu to concentrate only on studies as his government was committed to ensuring that their education is taken care of. “Those ruling at the Centre think that they stop Tamil Nadu’s progress by diverting funds. But the success of our students is a clear message that our progress can never be stopped,” he added.