Andhra Pradesh Leads in PM SHRI Fund Utilisation, Says HRD Minister

Andhra Pradesh Tops in PM SHRI Fund Utilisation, Says HRD Minister Nara Lokesh

Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the leading state in the country in utilising funds under the Prime Minister’s Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, according to the state’s Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister, Nara Lokesh. The PM SHRI scheme is a Central government initiative aimed at modernising government schools.

Speaking at a review meeting with Education Department officials at his residence in Undavalli on Thursday, June 18, 2026, Minister Lokesh congratulated the officials for achieving this milestone. He directed them to expedite the construction of 844 smart kitchens across the state, following the Kadapa model. Officials informed him that the distribution of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyarthi Mitra kits had already commenced and would be completed before the upcoming Mega Parent-Teacher Meeting programme.

The Minister also instructed officials to provide 53,180 bunk beds for 1,06,360 girl students in 430 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) and to arrange bunk beds in Andhra Pradesh’s residential schools and colleges. Additionally, he highlighted that educational kits were being distributed to 2,03,430 students in government junior colleges.

In addressing private unaided schools, Mr. Lokesh called for the removal of unnecessary conditions in granting permissions and directed that approved fee structures be displayed prominently on school premises and made publicly accessible. He also emphasized the need to ensure that benefits under the ‘Talliki Vandanam’ scheme reached orphaned children.

To support orphaned students, he instructed officials to collect guardian details and, in cases where no guardian exists, to route funds through District Collectors or deposit them directly into the children’s bank accounts. He proposed establishing a permanent mechanism to allow these children to access the accumulated funds once they complete their education.

In a move to make Telugu Academy textbooks more accessible, the Minister directed officials to sell them through major e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. He also stressed the importance of improving students’ learning outcomes and maintaining school attendance above 95% across the state.

Special attention was called to educationally backward districts such as Kurnool, Anantapur, Markapuram, Alluri Sitharama Raju, and the Polavaram region. The Minister urged officials to review teacher availability in these areas and prepare targeted action plans. He also emphasized quality and transparency in the Mid-Day Meal scheme and reiterated the importance of not neglecting Telugu, the mother tongue.

To address the issue of students failing public examinations in Mathematics, Science, and Telugu, Mr. Lokesh recommended providing bridge-course materials, remedial coaching, and extra classes for academically weaker students.

The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Education Department Principal Secretary (In-charge) Shyamala Rao, Higher Education Commissioner Narayana Bharat Gupta, Intermediate Education Commissioner Ranjith Basha, School Education Director Thameem Ansaria, Samagra Shiksha State Project Director B. Srinivasa Rao, and Educational Infrastructure Corporation Managing Director Deeven Reddy, among others.