Andhra Pradesh’s Minister for Human Resource Development, Nara Lokesh, announced on Tuesday his readiness to engage in a comprehensive debate with Opposition leaders regarding the state’s student fee reimbursement program. This challenge comes amidst heated discussions surrounding alleged outstanding dues.
During a session in the Legislative Council, Mr. Lokesh asserted that the previous YSR Congress Party government had accumulated an enormous ₹4,000 crore in unpaid student fee reimbursement arrears. However, Leader of the Opposition, Botcha Satyanarayana, promptly refuted this accusation. Undeterred, Minister Lokesh firmly reiterated his invitation for a public debate to clarify the facts.
Highlighting the current government’s efforts, Mr. Lokesh stated that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition had already disbursed ₹1,200 crore for the 2024-25 academic year. He further pledged that the remaining ₹1,400 crore would be cleared within the next three months. The Minister also questioned why the YSRCP failed to bring this critical issue to the Business Advisory Committee meeting, accusing them of deliberately misleading the assembly. He also pointed out that YSRCP members had previously walked out of a session when educational matters were being debated, and critically noted that 1.2 million students had left government schools during the YSRCP’s tenure.
Discussing welfare initiatives, the Minister proudly mentioned the ‘Thalli ki Vandanam’ scheme, which has benefited over 6.65 million students to date. He clarified that the ₹2,000 deduction per student under this scheme is strategically re-invested into enhancing school infrastructure, improving sanitation, streamlining management, and strengthening the overall learning environment across the state.
Addressing the challenges faced by Dr. YSR Architecture and Fine Arts University in Kadapa, Mr. Lokesh revealed that admissions between 2020-21 were initiated without proper regulatory approvals, causing significant distress to the initial two batches of students. He squarely attributed this crisis to decisions made by the previous government. The current “double-engine government,” he assured, is committed to resolving this issue through Central government intervention by August of this year.
Regarding broader educational reforms and teacher recruitment, Mr. Lokesh underscored the government’s significant achievement of implementing the “One Class-One Teacher” initiative in an impressive 9,600 primary schools. This is a substantial increase compared to just 1,200 schools under the previous G.O. 117, making it an unparalleled initiative across the country. Furthermore, the administration is prioritizing Guaranteed Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) in government schools, with a strong focus on tangible learning outcomes and the integration of moral education.