Telangana Govt to introduce New Education Policy soon , Plans Higher Budget Allocation
Hyderabad, May 11 (TNT): To strengthen the education sector in the state, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday announced that the state government would soon introduce a new education policy and gradually increase budget allocations for education to 15 per cent in the coming years.
Inaugurating Education Week under “Praja Palana – Pragati Pranalika” at LB Stadium here, the Chief Minister said expenditure on education should be viewed as a productive investment in future generations and reiterated the government’s goal of making Telangana the number one state in the country in government education.
The state currently allocates around 8 per cent of its budget to education, he said, adding that the allocation would be enhanced progressively over the next few years.
The Chief Minister, who is also holding the education portfolio, announced that nursery-to-Class 12 education would be introduced in government schools from the current academic year to address rising dropout rates after Class 10.
He also said the government would expand student welfare initiatives by providing nutritious food, including milk and ragi java, to students in government schools.
A breakfast scheme has already been introduced on a pilot basis in Kodangal Assembly constituency.
Responding to criticism over the absence of a full-time education minister, Revanth Reddy said he deliberately retained the portfolio to personally oversee reforms aimed at improving educational opportunities for poor, Dalit and tribal students across the state.
Highlighting recent initiatives, the Chief Minister said the government recruited 11,000 teachers within 60 days, promoted 22,000 teachers and transferred 36,000 teachers without controversy.
He added that NITI Aayog had commended Telangana for its achievements in the education sector.
The state currently has around 1.5 lakh teachers with a teacher-student ratio of one teacher for every 17 students, he said.
Revanth Reddy also announced that 500 best-performing teachers would be sent abroad to study international education systems, following the recent visit of 25 government teachers to Finland.
The government is spending nearly ₹1,000 crore on education kits this year, he said, warning of strict action, including blacklisting and criminal proceedings, against suppliers providing substandard materials.
The Chief Minister further said the state had launched a ₹1,700 crore development plan to improve infrastructure in educational institutions within the Outer Ring Road region and was constructing 100 ‘Young India Integrated Schools’ across 100 constituencies at an estimated cost of ₹20,000 crore.
Stressing the importance of education in Telangana’s development, Revanth Reddy said government schools are not orphanages but platforms for progress and social transformation.
TNT TS
