Telangana Seeks Rs 30,000 Crore for Educational Investment

Hyderabad, Sep 5 (PTI): Telangana's government has approached Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with a request to secure a financial package of Rs 30,000 crore for the development of 'Young India Integrated Residential Schools' (YIIRS) and other educational investments beyond the constraints of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM) limits.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka met Sitharaman in New Delhi on Thursday night to present a formal memorandum. He highlighted the necessity of a Rs 30,000 crore financial plan for a comprehensive educational reform, with Rs 21,000 crore earmarked for constructing 105 YIIRS campuses and Rs 9,000 crore for related educational sector investments.

The state government aims to channel these resources by creating a special purpose corporation dedicated to construction and related investments. The memorandum stressed the importance of exempting these borrowings from the State's FRBM limits, as they represent a long-term investment in human capital rather than regular expenditure.

Vikramarka explained that the YIIRS initiative involves more than just erecting new buildings; it encompasses a holistic transformation of the education system. The project aims for multidisciplinary learning environments featuring AI-enabled classrooms, STEM and vocational labs, enhanced nutrition services, as well as sports and arts integration alongside safe, gender-sensitive residential facilities.

Each proposed campus will include residences for staff, health units, counseling services, and sustainability innovations like rooftop solar installations, rainwater harvesting, water recycling, and waste management systems. The YIIRS initiative aspires to establish world-class learning settings for Telangana's most disadvantaged children, in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal 4 and India's dedication to inclusive and equitable education.

This initiative aligns with national priorities for human capital growth and is poised to quicken the nation’s advancement toward the vision of a developed India by 2047, he added.

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