Mana Ooru-Mana Badi/Mana Basti-Mana Badi

• Research on the impact of school’s physical environment on learning outcomes has shown a positive correlation. Studies done in Latin America showed that lack of basic services like potable water, electricity, toilets, sanitary drains has been linked to violence, discrimination and limited opportunities to learn. Apart from improving learning outcomes, improving physical learning environments can promote enrolment, student-retention and equity.
• Access to educational facilities with child friendly and well ventilated classrooms, and recreational spaces can instill confidence in children. Moreover, it also shows students the value that their institutions and its representatives place on their education.
• The Government of Telangana has announced a new programme “Mana Ooru-Mana Badi/Mana Basti-Mana Badi” for comprehensive development of school infrastructure covering all Government and Local body schools by providing additional class rooms, repairs, necessary furniture, toilets and other facilities including digital classrooms over a period of three years starting from 2021-22. This programme covers 26,067 government and local – body schools with 19,84,167 students. The
• Government has allocated Rs.7,289.54 crore for this programme. The execution of all works shall be done through the School Management Committees (SMCs), up to the existing prescribed financial limit, to ensure people’s participation, transparency and quick execution. Any work above the prescribed limit shall be undertaken by the district collector by following the due process.
• Additionally, under the Constituency Development Programme, Rs.2.00 Crore per MLA/MLC Constituency will be used towards works under Mana Ooru-Mana Badi/Mana Basti-Mana Badi to improve infrastructure facilities in local Government Schools/Anganwadi Centres.
• From 2021-22 onwards, in the first phase 35% schools (9,123) across all categories, with the highest enrolment have been shortlisted considering mandal as a unit with an estimated budget of Rs. 3,497 crore.

Telangana Residential Educational Institutions Society (TREIS)

• TREIS was established to provide quality Education in GURUKUL method to the socially and economically backward rural talented children by establishing Residential Schools and Colleges.
• As of 2021-22, TREI Society is managing a total of 37 educational institutions. Against the sanctioned strength of 22,960 in 2020-21, the enrolment of students for the same year is 21,789. During 2020-21, the pass percentage of students studying for the Secondary School Certificate from the Residential Schools was 100% and for Intermediate students it was 95.3%. In addition to this, about 50 students were selected to study professional courses in prestigious institutions across the country such as IIT, IIIT and NIT.

Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS)

• The Government, through the TSWREIS, manages 268 residential educational institutions (of which 173 are only for girls) with nearly 1.5 lakh students. Admissions into these schools are based on the reservations ( SC -75%, SCC- 2%, ST- 6%; BC- 12%; Minorities – 3% & OC/ EBC – 2%), and include institutions such as the School of Fine Arts & Film Technology, Sainik School in Rukmapur, Armed Forces Preparatory Degree College for Women, Bhongir, 26 Sports Academies and 87 Freedom Schools.
• In addition to this, the society also runs 872 SC hostels across the state, accommodating 74,000 students from elementary to postgraduate levels. The students from these institutions have performed exceptionally well. In Secondary School examinations, these institutions have achieved 100% results, in Intermediate examinations the achievement has been 89.38% and in Degree Colleges that achievement has been 88.79. More than 400 students got admissions in prestigious institutions such as Azim Premji University, Indian Institute of Technology, University of Delhi, Ashoka University, JNTU and TISS.

Telangana Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TTWREIS)

• The Society is currently operating 188 residential educational institutions with English as a medium of instruction in Grades 1 to 10, Intermediate and Degree Colleges. Out of this, 69 institutions are for only boys, 103 institutions are for only girls and 16 are co-education institutions. A separate society of Telangana State Eklavya Model Residential Schools Society (EMRS) was established in July 2020 to provide quality education to tribal children. A total of 23 EMRS institutions are functional in Telangana.

Model Schools

• The Government of India had launched the scheme of setting up of 6,000 Model Schools in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs) in the country in a phased manner. These schools operate with Grades VI to Intermediate based on state curriculum with English as medium of instruction. In 2013-14, 194 model schools were set up in the state.
• The Government of Telangana has taken the complete responsibility of running the schools as the Government of India has delinked the scheme and stopped providing financial support from 2015-16.

RUSA 2.0

• Rashtriya Uchachatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) was launched in 2013 by the central government to improve access, equity and quality in higher education through planned development of higher education at the State level. Under RUSA 1.0 there was an enhancement in the existing infrastructure. State Universities like Osmania University, JNTU and 58 Government Degree colleges were upgraded with additional classrooms, toilet blocks, and ICT facilities. While RUSA 1.0 focussed on physical infrastructure, RUSA 2.0 lays emphasis on quality enhancement, research and innovation.
• Under the quality enhancement in select state universities, Osmania University was chosen in the state with a funding of Rs.100 crore to establish nine centers of excellence in the state for research and development. Under the Creation of Model Degree colleges component in RUSA 1.0 and 2.0, the central government has provided support for creation of 4 and 3 Model degree colleges respectively in the aspirational districts of the state.

Padhana Likhana Abhiyan

• The primary objective of Padhna Likhna Abhiyan is to implement functional literacy to 2.20 lakh adult illiterates in the aged 15 and above under a basic literacy programme for a period of one year 2020- 21. The Project Approval Board (PAB), Government of India has approved the “Padhna Likhna Abhiyan ‘’ programme to the State of Telangana to cover 2.20 lakh non-literates with a total cost of Rs.5.18 crores. It is proposed to implement the programme in the (3) Aspirational districts of Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Jayashankar -Bhupalpally and Komaram Bheem- Asifabad.
• Apart from this, Government of Telangana had launched the programme of ‘Each One Teach One’ to achieve 100% literacy in the state. The government urged every educated member of the society to participate in this initiative to educate at least 1 illiterate person.
• Telangana Open School Society (TOSS) also provides opportunities for people who have missed opportunities to complete their education and are desirous of seeking it through open and distance learning. They offer secondary and Intermediate courses. The admission in TOSS has increased from 49,354 in 2014-15 to 50,502 in 2020-21.

Assistance for Overseas Education (Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Overseas Vidya Nidhi for BCs, Dr. Ambedkar Overseas Vidya Nidhi Scheme for SC and STs and Chief Minister Overseas Scholarship for Minorities)

• Government is providing scholarships for overseas education of SC, ST, BC and Minority students for those students whose family annual income does not exceed Rs.5 Lakh. Since the launch of the programme over 1,790 BC, 699 SC, 204 ST and 2,235 Minority students have been benefited and the government has incurred an expenditure of more than Rs. 385.87 crore.

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV)

• Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBV) are the residential schools for girls. The objective of these schools is to ensure access to quality education for girls belonging to disadvantaged and underprivileged sections of the society.
• The scheme is implemented in educationally backward blocks (EBB)/mandals of the country where the female literacy level is below the national average and gender gap above national average. KGBVs operate with Grades VI to XII (Intermediate). Currently there are 475 KGBVs functioning in the state, out of which 267 KGBVs have Grades VI – X & 208 KGBVs are functioning up to the Intermediate level. There are 91,617 girls enrolled up to class X and 22,453 girls enrolled in Intermediate sections.

Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Telangana Backward Classes Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (MJPTBCWREIS)

• This society was established in 2014 for the administration of BC Welfare Residential Schools.
• Currently it operates 261 schools, 19 junior colleges and one degree college with a sanctioned strength of 1,32,440. In 2021-22, 119 BC residential schools were upgraded to Junior Colleges, with a sanctioned strength of 9,650.
• It has evolved into one of the most important educational institutions for BC students. With further initiatives like Super-100 and School of Excellence- to coach meritorious students aspiring to succeed in NEET, EAMCET and JEE, the society has extended its services for the students to perform well in all major competitive exams.

To expand the learning opportunities for children beyond classrooms, during the academic year 2020-21, the State Institute of Educational Technology (SIET) had developed and transmitted 2180 digitals lessons through T-SAT and DDK channels in Telugu, English and Urdu media covering students in Grade III to X. On an average of 85% students viewed these digital lessons

Vision

• To facilitate the constitution of biodiversity management committees at local body level.
• To facilitate preparation of people’s biodiversity registers in the areas of potential bioresources.
• To develop district biodiversity parks depicting forest, agriculture, wetland ecosystems for conservation, education & recreation.
• To identify biodiversity heritage sites for notification.
• To create Telangana biodiversity information system.
• To take up capacity building, training and awareness programmes about the provisions of the biodiversity Act & Rules.
• To identify and conserve distinct, endemic land-races, breeds and other flora & fauna.
• To revive & promote traditionally cultivated crop varieties in different agro-climatic zones.
• To advise the government on water harvesting, tree planting, organic farming, urban greening and preparation of city biodiversity index.

Q. Analyse the impact of various educational policies and programs implemented by the Telangana government.