Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy released Rs 703 crore under Jagananna Vidya Deevena for total fee reimbursement of 9.95 lakh students for the first quarter of 2023. The amount would be directly credited into the bank accounts of students’ mothers.

Addressing the students and parents at Kovvur on Wednesday after releasing the amount, the Chief Minister said that pursuing higher education is the right of the poor and the Government has been implementing the Jagananna Vasathi Deevena and Jagananna Vidya Deevena to help poor students pursue higher education.

As suggested by social reformers like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Dr BR Ambedkar and Savitri Bai Phule, higher education only can eradicate poverty, he said, adding that the Vasathi Deevena and Vidya Deevena are being implemented with commitment to drive away poverty from the society.

Under Jagananna Vasathi Deevena and Jagananna Vidya Deevena alone, the Government has so far spent Rs 14, 912.43 crore including the arrears of Rs 1778 crore, he said, adding that the Government is disbursing the Vidya Deevena funds at the end of each quarter.

“Soon, AP will become a hub for skilled manpower and show the way for the entire country,” he stated, asking the students to pursue higher education goals unmindful of the expenses involved.

While the dropout number at the Intermediate level has come down to 22,387 from 81,813 in 2018-19, the number of students pursuing Engineering courses has gone up to 120,000 from 87,000, said the Chief Minister, stressing this is an indication of the reforms in the education sector yielding results.

The government wants every family in the State to produce a Satya Nadella, he observed, stating that introduction of job-oriented curriculum, 4-year honours degree courses, skill development training programmes and online verticals will help students a lot.