Live
- APERC chief checks progress at Polavaram hydel station
- RSS asks governments to resolve conflict fast
- RSS asks governments to resolve conflict fast
- Trimming hair of 18 girls for discipline creates sensation
- ONE protester dead
- Dispute at hostel in Wanaparthy district – Warden suspended
- AP, TG move forward to settle bifurcation issues
- AI to speed up Lord’s darshan at Tirumala
- Nayantara: Beyond Fairy Tale Review: A Doc That Falls Flat
- Cong asks PM to visit state; demands Shah's resignation
State ups spend on education
Finance Minister Eatala Rajender in his fifth and final budget for the current tenure of the government hiked allocation to Rs 978 crore for 2018-19 compared to 2017-18. Presenting his fifth budget here on Thursday
Hyderabad: Finance Minister Eatala Rajender in his fifth and final budget for the current tenure of the government hiked allocation to Rs 978 crore for 2018-19 compared to 2017-18. Presenting his fifth budget here on Thursday, the Finance Minister proposed an allocation of Rs 10,830 crore for school education and Rs 2,823 crore for the higher education. In addition to this, the Minister proposed an allocation of Rs 2,488 crore for SC, ST, BC, minority and general residential schools in the State.
When compared to the overall allocation of Rs 12,705.72 crore for the education sector during fiscal year 2017-18 the total increase of an allocation to the education, including residential schools, for the ensuing fiscal year of 2018-19 comes about Rs 3,426 crore.
Highlighting the importance given to the School Education Department (SED), he said there are 41,337 schools with a student strength of 58, 66,786. Majority of those studying in these schools are from SC, ST, BC and minority categories, he said.
Rajender said after formation of the State; nearly 8,792 teachers have been recruited through the State Public Service Commission and they will be serving in the schools from the next academic year. Similarly, under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), out of 44,588 development works taken up so far 38,182 works have been completed, he said. Steps have been taken to improve the facilities in 391 Kasturba Gandhi Girls Schools (KGGS) in the State with 72,824 students, he said.
He said the State government is according top priority to the higher education system in the State. And, so far Rs 259 crore has been spent to improve facilities in 404 Government Junior colleges in the State. Also, the salaries of the contract lecturers have been increased from Rs 18,000 to Rs 37,100, he said.
Besides, establishing 11 new polytechnic colleges with an allocation of Rs 95 crore, steps have been taken to improve infrastructure in 131 Government Degree Colleges (GDCs) having a strength of 10,634 students with an estimated cost of Rs 247 crore, the Minister said.
In last 45 months and as a first step in providing KG to PG free education, Rajender said, 491 residential schools have been established for SC, ST, BC and minorities. Also, a portion of seats in these schools have been allocated to the poor students from the upper castes, he said. Rajender said 30 women residential colleges for SCs, 22 for STs and one for BC have been established in the first phase.
The government has been spending more than one lakh on each student studying in the residential schools. While 2,70,135 students are studying in residential schools, 16,160 students are studying in the women’s colleges, the Minister added.
