Integrated Schools to Boost Careers of Poor Students: Telangana CM

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said that the Congress government would establish integrated residential schools (IRS) in every Assembly constituency to offer world-class education to underprivileged students from SC, ST, BC and minority communities under one roof in a single campus, each spread over 25 acres.

Speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for a Young India integrated residential school in Shadnagar on Friday, Reddy reiterated the state government’s commitment to ensuring quality education for the poor, free of cost.

"We are determined to provide a better future for students through these schools. Along with addressing unemployment, we promised to deliver quality education and healthcare for the poor," he said. In a sharp attack on the BRS government and his predecessor K. Chandrashekar Rao, Reddy accused them of neglecting the education sector all along.

He highlighted how the BRS government had shut down 5,000 government schools while setting up only 1,000 residential schools, many of which lacked basic facilities like toilets and drinking water, causing immense hardship to students, especially girls.

“While Rao spent over ₹22 lakh crore and borrowed ₹7 lakh crore in nine years, he didn’t invest even ₹10,000 crore to improve infrastructure in government schools. But he had funds to build lavish structures like the Secretariat for ₹1,200 crore, Pragathi Bhavan for ₹1,000 crore and a BRS party office building in every district," Reddy said.

The Chief Minister stated that his government’s initiative would overhaul the education system for the underprivileged. He highlighted the significance of integrated residential schools that will foster communal harmony and inclusivity, unlike the BRS approach of separate schools for each group.

He drew parallels to the 1972 policy introduced by then chief minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, who initiated residential schools in the Telangana region that was to benefit students like Burra Venkatesham and Mahender Reddy, who later rose to the ranks of IAS and IPS.

"We are following in the footsteps of PV's visionary thinking," Reddy said.As part of the state-wide initiative, foundation stones for 28 integrated residential schools were laid by ministers on the same day. These schools will address the education gap left by the BRS government, Reddy said.

In response to criticisms from opposition leaders, including bureaucrat-turned-politician R.S. Praveen Kumar, Revanth Reddy clarified, “If we are setting up these world-class schools, why is he opposing? Our goal is to create opportunities for students to venture into new vistas and not limit them to traditional caste-based occupations.” Revanth Reddy reiterated the party’s commitment to removing caste and religious barriers, while stating, "Congress is a party for the poor and weaker sections, and we are here to create equal opportunities for all."