Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced that the government would credit fee reimbursement funds in advance to students’ bank accounts every year.
Under the new system, students who apply online will receive the amount without making separate requests. From the current academic year, the government will introduce the advance payment system.
Revanth Reddy made the announcement after unveiling the statues of Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule opposite the HMDA Grounds on Necklace Road. He paid tributes to the social reformers.
Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka and Ministers Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Konda Surekha, Ponnam Prabhakar, Vakiti Srihari and Azharuddin attended the programme.
Government Advisors K. Keshav Rao and V. Hanumantha Rao, MLC and PCC president B. Mahesh Goud, besides several MPs, MLCs and MLAs, also participated.
Addressing the gathering at the HMDA Grounds, Revanth Reddy said colleges could not withhold students’ certificates because they had not paid fees.
“Fees reimbursement will be credited to their accounts without students having to ask. From this academic year, we are keeping the fee reimbursement amount ready in their bank accounts in advance,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the government would reform the system to make it more transparent. Accordingly, it would credit ₹2,400 crore every year into students’ accounts under the scheme.
Revanth Reddy also urged students to develop technical skills alongside formal education. He said academic qualifications alone no longer guaranteed employment.
Therefore, he suggested education from nursery to Class 12, followed by skill development. According to him, employers increasingly valued technical abilities.
Fee reimbursement reform linked to skills and employment focus
Revanth Reddy said the government was pursuing a comprehensive approach to technical education. He referred to Advanced Technology Centres, polytechnics and the Skills University as avenues for skill development.
Furthermore, he said nursing students could find employment opportunities in Japan and South Korea. At the same time, he noted that competition among students had increased, with many securing more than 90 per cent marks.
However, the Chief Minister said students possessed different abilities. Some excelled in technical skills, while others performed well in sports.
Revanth Reddy said the Young India Sports University would support sporting talent. He cited boxer Nikhat Zareen, cricketer Mohammed Siraj and athlete Deepthi Jeevanji as examples.
He said the government would provide government jobs and cash rewards of ₹1 crore to sportspersons who excelled through the Young India Sports University.
The Chief Minister urged students to win State and national medals and bring recognition to Telangana. He also encouraged them to aim for Olympic medals.
At the same time, Revanth Reddy said education remained important for improving people’s lives. However, he stressed that technical skills were also necessary for employment and livelihood opportunities.
He recalled a time when computer science graduates could find jobs in the United States. Now, he said, technological changes had altered the employment landscape.
The Chief Minister also referred to artificial intelligence and its potential impact on jobs. He said engineering graduates, IT professionals and other workers could face employment risks because of AI.
Consequently, he said society needed to consider ways to address the emerging challenge. Students, he added, needed to prepare by developing relevant skills.
Phule statues unveiled as CM highlights social integration
Revanth Reddy also outlined the government’s Young India Integrated Residential School programme. He said the model aimed to bring children from different communities together and reduce social divisions.
In this regard, he said the government was using the residential school system to promote greater social integration. Students from different sections would live and study together.
The Chief Minister said the statues of Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule should serve a purpose beyond commemorating their birth and death anniversaries.
Instead, he said such memorials could inspire people to learn about the reformers’ sacrifices and achievements. The government installed the statues to create such spaces for inspiration.
Revanth Reddy said the programme also aimed to encourage students to excel in education. He urged them to combine academic achievement with social awareness and contribute to society’s development.
The government will implement advance fee reimbursement from the current academic year. It plans to credit ₹2,400 crore annually into students’ accounts under the revised system.