Andhra CM releases Rs 698 crore for students under Vidya Deevena

Tiruvuru (Andhra Pradesh) [India], March 19 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy released Rs. 698.68 crore under Jagananna Vidya Deevena towards total fee reimbursement of 9.86 lakh students pursuing ITI, Polytechnic, Degree, Engineering, Medicine and other professional courses for the quarter October to December 2022.
The amount would be directly deposited into the bank accounts of students' mothers.
Addressing a huge gathering of students and parents after releasing the amount here on Sunday, the Chief Minister said that the fate of the poor can be changed for the better through education only and the Vidya Deevena was introduced with the sole aim of providing higher education to poor students.
Assuring that his government is ready to bear the fee of professional students irrespective of the number of students in each family and irrespective of the fee amount, he said that education only brings a better future for all.
The Government has so far transferred Rs. 13,311 crore under the Jagananna Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Deevena, he said and added that out of this, Rs. 9,947 crore was on spent on Vidya Deevena alone benefitting 27 lakh students so far.
"Today should be better than yesterday, tomorrow should be better than today and one should have the best future than a better tomorrow," he said, adding that best future is possible only with good education which provides good livelihood and good life journey.
Observing that the face of the class rooms in the schools is changing fast with digitalization, he vowed to bring the government schools in the State on par with corporate schools.
"Just give me two years, I will remove the impression that government schools can't compete with corporate schools. Instead, the face of the government schools will undergo total change to force the corporate schools compete with the former," he said.
Citing the instance of IAS officer S. Dilli Rao who hails from a poor family in Srikakulam district becoming the District Collector, the Chief Minister said each and every student should strive to rise to eminent position in life.
Reiterating his committed principle that money spent on education is investment on students' future, he gave a clarion call to students to work hard and strive to become Satya Nadellas while leaving the fee burden to Government which would handhold them as they pursue the best academic courses.
He asked the students and parents to call 1902 if they face any issues with colleges so that the CMO will directly intervene and talk to the colleges.
During the TDP rule several students committed suicide while some discontinued studies as the government failed to clear the fee reimbursement dues, he alleged, adding that the present government cleared the TDP rule's arrears of Rs 1,777 crore to colleges and has been implementing the scheme with heart and soul.
As a result, the number of professional students and campus recruitments rose to 120,000 and 85,000 from 87,419 and 37,000 respectively in TDP rule.
Reiterating his challenge to the opposition parties to contest all 175 alone, he questioned them as to why they are trying to forge alliances if they strongly believed that the present Government has done no good to the people.