Revanth Unveils Education Revamp

Hyderabad: The new academic year in Telangana, which begins on Monday, will be one where government schools will literally turn a new page, with the government introducing a slew of reforms in its approach to student welfare aimed at making attending schools and colleges an activity to look forward to.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who also holds the education portfolio, has decided to supply quality uniforms, branded shoes, socks, ties and belts to students as part of the reforms. Bedding materials will be provided to all students in government and residential schools, including Kasturba Gandhi, BC, SC, ST and minority residential institutions.

For the first time, steps are being taken to ensure that kits for students in public schools are made from high-quality materials. These kits include uniforms for students in all public schools, as well as white shoes and white socks; these kits are in contrast to previous practice, which limited them to students at BC residential schools only.

For students in BC, SC, ST and minority residential schools, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and urban residential schools, comprehensive kits including belt, ID card, tie, school bag, shoes (black and white, with socks), bedding, plate, cup, bowl, trunk box, PT dress, evening dress and track suit will be provided.

Additionally, for the first time, the government decided to provide tracksuits and nightgowns to students in minority boarding schools. Similarly, students in public schools and model schools will receive black shoes and belts from the state for the first time.

This year, the government introduced centralized purchasing of materials to be distributed to students, following previous experiences led by the school education department and various boarding school communities that procured and distributed these materials independently; this resulted in inconsistencies and occasional errors.

Officials said the comprehensive overhaul of supplies for students and their quality reflects the Prime Minister’s approach to viewing any spending on education not as an expense but as an investment in future generations. The government spent a total of ₹687.78 crore on supplies, officials added.

Considering quality inconsistencies in the past, the government is purchasing 2.97 crore meters of fabric this year to provide two sets of uniforms each to 27 lakh students. While Mafatlal Corporation is supplying 2.41 lakh meters of fabric, Telangana Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (TGSCO) is supplying 55.32 lakh meters of fabric.

Officials said that the uniforms will be provided in light blue, dark blue, white, plain burgundy and burgundy checkered fabrics. Day students will wear light blue tops and navy blue bottoms, while students in boarding schools will wear burgundy checkered tops and burgundy bottoms. Officials said that keeping in mind the needs of girl students, they will be provided with skirts, Punjabi dresses and chunnis (dupattas). Each student will be given two uniforms.

Women self-help groups, which can produce between 75,000 and one lakh uniforms a day, will stitch the uniforms, translating into earnings of over Rs.75 crore per uniform.

The Prime Minister also decided to provide bags, belts, ties, black shoes and socks to around 2 lakh students in secondary schools, officials said, adding that textbooks and notebooks have already been supplied to government and boarding schools and their distribution will be completed within a week. In addition, for the first time, breakfast will be provided to students at state colleges.

Refuting allegations that opposition parties made mistakes in purchasing materials, officials said that all purchases were made through a transparent national e-tendering process. Many irregularities had come to light in the processes adopted in the procurement and distribution of uniforms and other materials during the previous BRS government. Officials said a group of unions were exploiting the system by sourcing substandard fabrics and materials to make huge profits, and the current system eliminated scope for such actions.