From this new academic year, the Telangana government has decided to extend the mid-day meal programme to the students of government junior and degree colleges in the state.The announcement was made on Friday by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) to prevent students from dropping out.
KCR said that the government realized the importance of providing mid-day meals to the students in the colleges. As of now, the mid-day meals are being provided only for the students in government schools to control the dropout rate across the state. Now the same is being extended to the college level as well.
He observed that the students are leaving the colleges during lunchtime but are not returning for post-lunch classes and that this is increasing the dropout rate in the government junior and degree colleges.
This decision was also inspired by a lecturer who was serving mid-day meals to his college students from his own pocket. Former Minister C Laxma Reddy informed the Chief Minister about this lecturer and his work.
Raghuram, a lecturer from the Jadcherla Government College lecturer is providing mid-day meals to the college students by spending money from his pocket.
After hearing this, the Chief Minister met Raghuram and congratulated him for his effort. Raghuram during the discussion has requested the Chief Minister for a new college building for the students of Jadcherla and also requested to set up a botanical garden for them.
Upon the request of Raghuram, both these requests were sanctioned by the Chief Minister and a college with a botanical garden would be set up soon, as per the official note released by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).
The Chief Minister has instructed the officials concerned to take Jadcherla Degree College as an inspiration and set up botanical gardens in all the government degree colleges in the State as well.