CHENNAI: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Thursday announced that a free breakfast scheme for government schoolchildren would be introduced in his state from the next academic year on the lines of the successful Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme being implemented in Tamil Nadu.
Speaking at the ‘Kalviyil Sirantha Tamil Nadu’ event organised by the state government here, Revanth made a slew of other announcements, including provision of cash assistance of Rs 2,000 per month to students of Advanced Technology Centres (ATCs), inspired by TN’s Pudhumai Penn and Tamil Pudhalvan schemes that offer Rs 1,000 as monthly assistance to government school students pursuing higher education.
Revanth lauds CM Stalin, says rest of India should learn from T’gana and TN edu models
Revnath also said that Telangana will introduce nursery and kindergarten classes in government schools, as well as providing transport facilities for pick-up and drops, similar to private schools.
Lauding TN, he said the state is fortunate to have MK Stalin as the CM as he has prioritised the welfare of the poorest. He stated that the four schemes -- CM’s Breakfast Scheme, Pudhumai Penn, Tamil Pudhalvan and Naan Mudhalvan (the flagship skill development programme) -- should be adopted across India.
Stating that the rest of India should learn from the Telangana and TN models, he added that education is not charity, it is justice and a fundamental right. “Every Indian child must have the opportunity to dream big and access world-class education,” he added.
Modi, Shah not doing their job
Highlighting India’s struggle to win Olympic medals, he said, “(Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and (Home Minister) Amit Shah are not doing their jobs. Together, TN and Telangana will aim for gold medals at the 2028 Olympics.
This is our commitment to the country.”He urged Stalin to recommend Tamil students who can join Telangana’s existing sports university and the upcoming sports academy, which will have a Rs 500-crore corpus, as part of cultural exchange and to increase the bond between the two states.
Stalin said the grand event organised at the Nehru Indoor Stadium was not to praise the state government’s schemes, but to inspire the next generation of students to value education.
He praised Revanth for safeguarding Telangana as a representative of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who he termed as the leader of India’s youth. He noted that Telangana has implemented a free bus travel scheme similar to TN’s. “We will adopt successful schemes from Telangana here. That is healthy politics for development,” he said.
“Some may wonder what difference one meal or Rs 1,000 per month can make. The breakfast scheme has improved attendance, and over 75% of students, especially women, are now pursuing higher education,” he said. He added that 1,878 government school students have joined premier educational institutions in the last four years.
Stalin criticised the union government for creating obstacles and claimed it did not like the transformation being witnessed in Tamil Nadu. “My goal is high-quality education for all. No one should be denied access to learning. You should fly high using the opportunities we create, and we will take pride in your success,” he said.
Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, DMK parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhiaan, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi along with other senior ministers and officials, participated in the event. Several film personalities also attended and lauded the schemes of the government, especially those aimed at education and social justice.