Amaravati: Rs 1,048.94 crore deposited into accounts of mothers

Amaravati: Asserting that poverty should not deprive a child from pursuing higher education, Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday credited Rs 1048.94 crore into the accounts of mothers of 10,89,302 students under Jagananna Vasathi Deevena scheme for the academic year 2020-21.

Speaking on this occasion, the Chief Minister said that only education has the power to change the world, eradicate poverty and backwardness of the society, which is why no child has to be deprived from getting educated. In order to provide quality education for the students and to ease the financial burden on parents, the government has come up with Vidya Deevena reimbursing the college fees and Vasathi Deevena for boarding and hostel fees to the students.

Stating that Vasathi Deevena would benefit nearly 10.89 lakh students in the State, the Chief Minister said that Rs 2,270 crore was spent alone on the scheme since the formation of YSRCP government. In the education sector, for schemes like Amma Vodi, Vidya Deevena, Vasathi Deevena, Goru Muddha, Vidya Kanuka and Naadu-Nedu, the State government had spent a whopping Rs 25,714 crore in just 22 months of forming the government.

In spite of going through severe financial crisis due to the pandemic, the State government didn't back out from implementing any welfare scheme, said the Chief Minister. Speaking on the reforms in the education sector, he said that the government will be implementing CBSE board from the coming academic year and also transform Anganwadis as YSR Pre-primary schools offering PP1, PP2 and Pre first class.

Further, speaking on the issue of conducting examinations to class X and Intermediate students, he said the Centre had left it to the State governments to decide whether or not to conduct exams in the current scenario.

He explained that examinations are underway in some States following strict measures and said that SSC and Inter examinations are very important to the students as their future depends on those certificates. He clarified that their government will ensure safety of every student in the State.

The Chief Minister said that the criticism of opposition on conducting 10th and Inter examinations is not good and flayed them for trying to degrade the government even in the times of disaster. He questioned, will there be any admissions in good institutions for students with pass certificates, as only pass certificates would be issued by the States which have not conducted the exams.

He stated that the government is conducting exams to ensure that students have a better future and assured them that he thinks for the future of every student.