Education Minister Lokesh Advocates for Quality and Fairness in Andhra Pradesh’s Education System

Lokesh highlighted the escalating expenditure per student for the Vidya Kanuka program over the years, noting an increase from 1,530 crore in 2020-21 to 1,707 crore in 2021-22, 2,029 in 2022-23, and 2,700 in 2023-24. He criticized the ill-fitting and poor quality shoes and school bags provided to students and pledged to offer replacements for the shoes. Furthermore, he instructed officials to design better color schemes for school bags and belts, avoiding the yellow associated with the Telugu Desam party.**

The minister expressed concern that the bilingual textbooks distributed to students were causing heavier school bags without providing significant benefits. He emphasized the government’s dedication to enhancing public schools over private institutions, confirming the continuation of the Vidya Kanuka program and the ongoing development of the Talliki Vandanam scheme.

In response to inquiries about vacant teaching and non-teaching positions in various educational institutions, Lokesh assured the formulation of an academic calendar by the government. He promised efforts to fill vacancies in universities and ensure fair compensation, mentioning discussions with the Governor and the Advocate General regarding recruitment challenges.

**Lokesh recounted addressing complaints about the quality of food served to students, ensuring improvements were made promptly. He relayed Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s directive to boost the rankings of Andhra Pradesh’s universities, pledging full support towards achieving this goal. Additionally, he urged the IT and electronics department officials to incentivize companies providing employment opportunities in the state rather than solely focusing on investments.