Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy released Rs 912 crore under the Jagananna Vasathi Deevena scheme for boarding, lodging charges of 9.55 lakh needy students pursuing degree, polytechnic, ITI, engineering and medicine courses in Andhra Pradesh, while prodding them “to strive to become like Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella”.
Nadella’s late father BN Yugandhar, who was a top bureaucrat at the centre under PV Narasimha Rao and a member of the planning commission during UPA-1, hailed from Anantapuram.
Addressing a public meeting at Narpala near Anantapuram on Wednesday, Jagan told the students to strive to become Satya Nadella and make name in their respective fields. “Jagananna Videshi Vidya Deevena is being implemented with this sole aim,” the CM said in reference to his another welfare scheme in the education sector.
“Education has the power to change not only a family’s status but also of the community. My government’s desire is to see students become self-made leaders with good educational qualifications.”
The YSRCP government has so far released over Rs 4,275 crore under Jagananna Vasathi Deevena into the accounts of the mothers of 25,17,245 students. The scheme ensures payment of Rs 10,000 each to ITI students, Rs 15,000 each to polytechnic students and Rs 20,000 each to students pursuing degree, engineering and medicine courses in two instalments every year.
Under Direct Benefit Transfers ambit, the amount is credited into the bank accounts of their mothers.
“Revolutionary changes have been brought in the last four years to provide quality education to all. Jagananna Vasathi Deevena has been introduced to supplement Vidya Deevena to enable students pursue their education smoothly,” Reddy said.
The CM stated that his government has so far spent Rs 14,223 crore for Jagananna Vasathi Deevena and Vidya Deevena together, and pointed that the previous TDP government had totally neglected the education sector.
The CM said that the number of students pursuing engineering courses has gone up to 1,20,000 from 87,000 under TDP rule, adding that the figure of drop-outs in undergraduate courses has come down to 22, 387 from 81, 813 in the last four years.
“State colleges are now conducting job-oriented courses, skill development, and self-certification online programmes while organisations like Microsoft are training 1,40,000 students in cyber-security and other courses.”
“While our government has tied up with Melbourne University and top institutes in Germany for improving the quality of education in AP, the internship has also been made mandatory for degree students,” said the chief minister.