Transparency saves Rs 63.80 crore in Vidyarthi Mitra

The government had floated tenders worth Rs 676.15 crore (ECV), and received bids for Rs 612.35 crore, resulting in a saving of Rs 63.80 crore.

VIJAYAWADA: The State government has saved Rs 63.80 crore through transparent tendering and three-tier quality check system in implementing the Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyarthi Mitra (SRKVM) student kit scheme for the academic year 2025-26.

At the initiative of HRD Minister Nara Lokesh, for the first time in the State, the Quality Council of India (QCI) was brought on board to monitor and certify the quality of each item under the Vidyarthi Mitra scheme. The inspection was carried out at three phases, which included verification of raw material, monitoring during production, and final inspection of finished products before dispatch to schools.

The government had floated tenders worth Rs 676.15 crore (ECV), and received bids for Rs 612.35 crore, resulting in a saving of Rs 63.80 crore. The entire process was conducted through the AP e-procurement platform to ensure transparency and competition. To create awareness among beneficiaries about the quality of kits, ‘Quality Walls’ were set up at mandal stock points displaying all items. Students, parents, and teachers could directly inspect the kits, and provide feedback.

Under the Vidyarthi Mitra, 35.94 lakh students from Class 1 to 10 in government and aided schools are receiving kits worth Rs 2,279 each. The total allocation for the scheme stood at Rs 953.71 crore. Of the total sum, the State’s spending was Rs 778.68 crore, while the Centre’s contribution was Rs 175.03 crore.

Scheme reflects govt’s vision to make AP a model

Each kit contains three pairs of uniform cloth, textbooks, workbooks, notebooks, a pair of shoes, two pairs of socks, a belt, a bag, and dictionaries. This year, the scheme has been extended to Intermediate students in government colleges, who get notebooks and textbooks.

The quality of uniform cloth was significantly upgraded. Olive green pants or gowns with light yellow and green striped shirts replaced the earlier printed fabric. Dyed woven cloth was used this year to enhance comfort and durability. Oxford English-English-Telugu dictionaries are being distributed to Class 6 students, along with special editions in Tamil, Odia and Urdu for students whose first language is not Telugu. For Class 1 students, pictorial dictionary was included.

The initiative has received an overwhelming response from students and parents. Students have expressed joy at receiving high-quality bags, shoes, and study material. Teachers revealed that the new textbook and workbook designs, which include relevant illustrations, have sparked greater interest among students in learning.