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The Hindu
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
36 lakh school kits, sans political branding, distributed to students in State
In the current academic year, the government has distributed 35.94 lakh school kits to students from Classes 1 to 10 in government and aided schools with a total expenditure of ₹953.71 crore. A statement released by the Department of School Education said of this total expenditure, ₹778.68 crore was contributed by the State and ₹175.03 crore by the Centre. Each kit is worth around ₹2,279. These school kits comprise three sets of uniform cloth (olive green pants/skirts and light yellow-green striped shirts), one pair of shoes, two pairs of socks, a belt and a school bag besides textbooks, workbooks and notebooks. Students of Class 6 also get Oxford English-English-Telugu dictionary, for Class 1 a pictorial dictionary and dictionaries in Urdu, Tamil and Odia wherever applicable. The statement said for the first time, the Andhra Pradesh government partnered with the Quality Council of India (QCI) to conduct a three-stage quality check (raw materials, production and packaging) for the kits which have been named, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyarthi Mithra Kits. This marks a departure from political branding seen during the previous government, when the scheme was named 'Jagananna Vidya Kanuka'. 'The focus of the TDP-led NDA government in the State is on keeping politics away from education. We want schoolchildren to do their learning without labels,' said the statement. It may be noted here that the Jagananna Vidya Kanuka scheme launched by the previous YSRCP government, drew significant public attention. Branded heavily with the image and name of then Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, the kits became a hallmark of the government's welfare-driven narrative. Promoted as a flagship education initiative, the scheme was celebrated in YSRCP circles as a symbol of inclusive development. However, critics argued that the Jagan government blurred the lines between governance and political promotion, sparking a debate over the use of public resources for personal branding. The NDA government is also said to have saved ₹63.80 crore, compared to previous year, by using an online e-procurement system for tenders, which ensured complete transparency and efficiency, said the statement. ..
Hans India
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
35 lakh school students to receive ‘Vidyarthi Mitra' kits
Vijayawada: The state government has undertaken an extensive exercise of distributing student kits called 'Vidyarthi Mitra kits' at a cost of Rs 953 crore to over 35 lakh students. To ensure the highest standards of quality, all materials provided to students have undergone a rigorous three-layer quality check by the Quality Council of India (QCI) before distribution. For the first time, the state has partnered with the QCI to conduct three-stage quality checks, covering raw materials, final production and packaging. Only those products that passed all stages were dispatched to schools. To ensure transparency, 'Quality Walls' have been set up at mandal stock points to test and display the kit items. Government school students across the state are stepping into the new academic year with pride and confidence, thanks to the distribution of the Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyarthi Mitra kits. Spearheaded by education minister Nara Lokesh, the initiative has brought a fresh look to classrooms, along with renewed energy and enthusiasm among students. Designed to ensure an equal start for every student, the kits include uniforms, shoes, belts, socks, school bags, textbooks, notebooks, workbooks, and Oxford dictionaries — all of high quality and presented in attractive, student-friendly colors. Significantly, this is the first time that government-provided kits are free from political branding. The kits have been renamed after India's second President, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. Under the previous YSRCP government, the kits were branded as Jagananna Vidya Kanuka and featured images of the then chief minister. This was widely criticised for exposing schoolchildren to political influence and using government material to do political publicity. This year, the government has distributed these kits to over 35.94 lakh students from Classes 1 to 10 across government and aided schools. With a total budget of Rs 953.71 crore — Rs 778.68 crore from the state and Rs 175.03 crore from the Centre — each kit is valued at approximately 2,279. The government has also borne the stitching charges — Rs 120 for Classes 1–8 and Rs 240 for Classes 9–10 — ensuring uniforms are ready to wear. As part of the initiative each student received three sets of uniform cloth in new colours (olive green pants/gowns and light yellow-green striped shirts), one pair of shoes, two pairs of socks, a belt, and a school bag, textbooks, workbooks, and notebooks, an Oxford English-English-Telugu dictionary for Class 6 students, pictorial dictionaries for Class 1 students and dictionaries in regional/minority languages like Urdu, Tamil, and Odia where needed With transparent online tenders through the e-procurement system, the government saved Rs 63.80 crore compared to previous years.
New Indian Express
12-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Education kits for 35.94 lakh students in Andhra Pradesh
VIJAYAWADA: As the 2025–26 academic year begins, the State government will distribute educational kits to 35.94 lakh students across government and aided schools under the Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyarthi Mitra (SRKVM) scheme. Valued at Rs 953.71 crore, the initiative targets students from Class I to X and aims to ensure equitable access to learning resources. The funding comprises Rs 778.68 crore from the State and Rs 175.03 crore from the Centre. Following the directive of HRD and IT Minister N Lokesh, each student will receive a kit worth Rs 2,279. The kit includes three pairs of uniforms, textbooks, notebooks, workbooks, a school bag, belt, shoes, two pairs of socks, and dictionaries—an Oxford English-English-Telugu version for Class VI students and a pictorial dictionary for Class I. Notably, this year's scheme also covers textbook and notebook supply for intermediate students in government colleges.
