Education should take priority over marital commitment: YS Jagan

TADEPALLI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Friday stressed the necessity of completing education while also addressing the age aspect.

YS Jagan told beneficiaries of the YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shaadi Tohfa programmes, which were inaugurated in October 2022, that 'age should not be the only factor for the coming generations; education should take over as an important component before marital commitment'.

Further emphasising the government's revolutionary schemes being implemented across the state in order to provide quality education, the Chief Minister said that the government was leaving no stone unturned with flagship schemes such as Jagananna Amma Vodi (Annual financial assistance of Rs. 13,000), Jagananna Gorumudda (Mid-day meal), Jagananna Vidya Kanuka (School essentials kit) Jagananna Vidya Deevena (Total fee reimbursement), Jagananna Vasathi Deevena (Boarding and lodging expenses), Manabadi Nadu-Nedu (revamping of school infrastructure) and paving way for Digital education.

The expenditure in the last 3 years on reforms alone in education sector is Rs. 55,079 Cr. The Chief Minister said that education was the most precious asset that plays a critical part in shaping society's thinking, and that the government would make it a priority in the next few years.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister, distributed cash aid under the YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shadi Tofa programmes to SC, ST, BC, disabled people, construction workers' families, and Muslim minority. The Chief Minister granted Rs 38.18 crore in financial assistance to 4,536 eligible individuals who married between October and December 2022.

The government was indeed implementing the scheme with the conditions that both the bride and bride-groom must pass 10th grade, the bride must be 18 years old, and the groom must be 21 years old as of the date of their marriage, with the goals of preventing child marriages, increasing school enrollment, and lowering dropout rates.

The financial assistance provided by the government as mentioned below:

- Scheduled Caste (SC): Rs.1,00,000

- Scheduled Caste (SC) Inter Caste: Rs.1,20,000

- Scheduled Tribe (ST): Rs.1,00,000

- Scheduled Tribe (ST) Inter Caste: Rs.1,20,000

- Backward Classes (BC): Rs.50,000

- Backward Classes (BC) Inter Caste: Rs.75,000

- Minorities: Rs.1,00,000

- Differently Abled: Rs.1,50,000

- BOCWWB Member: Rs.40,000