AP spends Rs 1 lakh per tribal student: Minister Sandhya Rani

Vijayawada: Tribal welfare minister Gummidi Sandhya Rani on Friday urged tribal students to overcome fear and hesitation and aspire for top civil service positions such as IAS and IPS, asserting that the state government is committed to strengthening tribal education.Addressing a felicitation programme for meritorious SSC and intermediate students and teachers at Tummalapalli Kshetrayya Kalakshetram in Vijayawada, the minister said the government was spending nearly Rs 1 lakh annually on each tribal student by providing quality education and essential facilities.She said the government has prioritised tribal education and is extending support through schemes, uniforms, books, footwear and other educational necessities. Students should make the best use of these opportunities and strive to reach greater heights, she said.Congratulating the achievers, Sandhya Rani highlighted the performance of students who secured over 90% marks in the SSC and intermediate examinations. She advised students to focus on academics, sports and personality development instead of excessive mobile phone usage and cautioned them against addictions such as drugs and betting.The minister said the government had allocated Rs 2,500 crore for road connectivity in tribal areas and was promoting coffee cultivation over nearly two lakh acres to generate employment opportunities. She also said tribal farmers were being provided agricultural inputs and equipment under subsidy schemes.Praising innovation among tribal students, she cited a group of girls from a residential school in Palnadu district who developed a prototype shoe capable of detecting snakes in advance and won a state-level award.Social welfare and tribal welfare secretary M Mallikarjuna Naik said tribal students were proving their academic excellence by competing successfully with students from the open category. Tribal welfare director S Bhargavi said Rs 1,672 crore had been earmarked in the budget for tribal education and noted that 29 students had qualified for the IIT Advanced examination this year.A total of 176 students, teachers, principals and other achievers from tribal welfare and gurukulam institutions were honoured during the programme for their outstanding performance in SSC, intermediate and national-level competitive examinations.