Vijayawada: Asserting that systemic reforms initiated today will shape students’ futures for decades, HRD and IT minister Nara Lokesh told the Assembly on Wednesday that the state government has embarked on a comprehensive overhaul of the education sector. He noted that no faculty recruitment had taken place in universities over the past five years and that the previous dispensation left fee reimbursement dues of nearly ₹4,000 crore. “We are cleansing the system. Legal hurdles will be cleared, notifications issued, and faculty recruitment will begin within 90 days,” Lokesh announced.Lokesh said merit-based appointments of vice-chancellors were made after the NDA govt assumed office. The higher education and skill development commissionerates were restructured for accountability. Amendments to the Private Universities Act were introduced to attract premier institutions such as ISB and leading law universities. A meeting of vice-chancellors was convened under the Governor’s leadership, with performance indicators assigned to each university and continuous monitoring to ensure targets are surpassed.
Polytechnics are being strengthened with new curriculum components in Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Technology. Stressing collective responsibility, Lokesh urged every MLA to adopt two schools in their mandal and work towards doubling enrolment. He called upon legislators to develop at least one school in each constituency with a strength of 1,000 students and to visit a government school weekly to provide structured feedback on infrastructure and attendance.
Lokesh said he consciously chose the education portfolio despite advice to opt for industries or power, emphasising that reforms in education would have a generational impact. The government is prioritising learning outcomes, with a strong focus on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), aiming for 100% literacy through a project to be completed in three years.
A pilot “clicker technology” programme was launched in 300 schools to shift from passive to active learning through gamification, with plans to expand it to 46,000 schools in two years. The LEAP app connects teachers, parents and students, sending alerts within an hour if a child is absent. Saturdays were declared “No Bag Day.”
To encourage excellence, “Shining Stars” awards are being given at the district level, with “Aspiring Stars” to follow. The Centre allocated 125 Bhavita Centres for children with autism, and a committee led by MLA Sundarapu Vijay Kumar is overseeing content design. Lokesh added that the government would save nearly ₹1,000 crore over five years in school kits, chikki and egg supply.
