Gita Gopinath meets Andhra students at IMF

Amaravati: A group of students from the government schools of Andhra Pradesh visited International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters as part of their tour to the United Nations and the US.

Gita Gopinath, first deputy managing director of the IMF, posted on ‘X’ a picture taken with the students. “It was really nice to welcome the students of Andhra Pradesh to the IMF. I am glad they made a stop at IMF headquarters as part of their UN and US tour,” she wrote on Wednesday.

Responding to her post, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister thanked her for meeting "our children and receiving them with such warmth".

“Their bright smiles say it all! I truly believe that education is the biggest catalyst in not just transforming individual lives but in transforming entire communities. Our children are shining examples of this. I’m filled with pride when I see our children so proudly and confidently represent our State on an international platform,” reads a post from the chief minister’s official handle.

The delegation comprises 10 students, two teachers and two senior officials, including B. Srinivasa Rao (IAS), State Project Director, Samagra Siksha.

The delegation earlier visited the World Bank at Washington DC where they were invited for an informal lunch followed by an elaborate session on education and health with leading World Bank officials including Rifat Hasan, Lead Health Specialist, Tracy Wilichowski, World Bank Analyst and Laura Gregory, Senior Education Specialist.

According to a statement by the state government, the World Bank lauded all the initiatives taken by Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy in the field of education, including AmmaVodi, Nadu-Nedu and the introduction of English medium in schools and the usage of bilingual textbooks. The World Bank officials expressed their deep desire to get more involved in the state government’s objective to invest in human capital.

The World Bank officials asked students to suggest ideas. The kids proposed a five-point programme.

They suggested a programme designed specifically to sensitise the parent community to prioritise and encourage education. Their ideas included setting up a common online platform for students across the world to exchange ideas and discuss topics like climate change, sustainable development, numerous exchange programmes with top foreign universities, introduction of activity clubs in government schools and introducing model United Nations concept and hold state level competitions on the same.