Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday declared that the Congress govt is determined to transform Telangana into an education and sports hub, unveiling a series of initiatives aimed at reviving government schools and empowering students to compete with private institutions.Addressing a gathering of govt schools and residential welfare institutions at LB Stadium, the CM said the introduction of a pre‑primary education system was already showing results. “The govt public school in Arutla has displayed a—no admission board—as the demand for the seats increased many fold. Even after admitting over 1,400 students, another 1,500 applications seeking admission are pending. This reflects the govt efforts to provide quality education and facilities in the govt schools too on the lines of corporate schools,” he said.Revanth, joined by governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka, and ministers Mohammed Azharuddin and Vakiti Srihari, launched the distribution of Young India student kits to 27.5 lakh students and virtually laid foundation stones for sports complexes across districts. The governor also administered a pledge against drugs, urging students to “say no to drugs, say yes to life,” and called for making Telangana a drug‑free state.In a major digital governance push, the CM and governor launched school education services on WhatsApp, enabling 18 lakh students and parents to access updates and services directly through the platform.Revanth said the establishment of Young India Integrated Residential Schools and Young India Sports University were part of reforms designed to nurture talent and win Olympic medals in the future. He also warned of the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence.“The govt launched skill development programmes for the youth to create more blue‑collar jobs. A facility to provide German and Japanese language teaching programmes alongside English was also created so that the youth can get jobs abroad. The ITIs have been transformed into advanced technology centres. A skill university has also been established with the aim of training the youth and shaping them into skilled manpower,” he said.Calling on students of social welfare institutions to aspire to become doctors, IAS and IPS officers, and political leaders, Revanth stressed: “Students should grow into a strong force that should lead the nation. The future lies within the classrooms and education will only change the destiny of everyone.”He accused the previous BRS govt of allowing education standards to deteriorate, closing schools that have since been reopened. Rejecting criticism over the absence of a dedicated education minister, he said: “I retained the education portfolio to overhaul the entire system aiming to provide quality education to the poorer sections. My govt allocated 8.5 per cent of the total state budget outlay to strengthen the education sector. Over Rs 26,600 crore was being spent on education alone in the 2026‑2027 financial year. The govt views spending on education as an investment.”
