VIJAYAWADA: HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh will felicitate 52 meritorious students from government junior and vocational colleges at his residence in Undavalli on Tuesday, as part of the State government’s push to promote academic excellence in educational institutions.
Lokesh will interact with the students, which aims to bring government junior and vocational colleges on par with private institutions.
He will felicitate 28 students from government junior colleges, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs), APR Junior Colleges, Adarsh Schools, and High School Plus programmes, along with 24 students from government vocational colleges. Among the total, six students have demonstrated exceptional and diverse talents.
The detailed list includes 29 students from government junior colleges, seven from KGBVs, seven from APR Junior Colleges, six from Adarsh Schools, and three from High School Plus.
The Minister’s emphasis on quality reforms in Intermediate education has led to strong academic outcomes.
This year, government junior colleges achieved a 69% pass percentage in the second year of Intermediate, the highest in the past decade. The first year saw 47% of students pass, the second-best result in 10 years.
Government vocational colleges also recorded notable progress. The first year of Intermediate Vocational registered a 64% pass rate, while the second year reached an unprecedented 82% — both marking the highest in the last ten years.
Since taking charge, Lokesh has introduced several reforms including reintroduction of the mid-day meal and free textbooks for Intermediate students, promotion of 217 principals after five years, implementation of centralised assessments, review-based teacher performance monitoring, revised college timings, targeted study materials, and launch of the Take Care system for student support.