State to Target Gen Alpha, Gen Beta in New Edu Policy: Revanth

The policy, he said, would cater not only to Gen Z but also to the emerging Gen Alpha and Gen Beta generations. It will focus on education, language and communication skills from nursery to Class 12, skill development for graduates, and employment, innovation and entrepreneurship for those pursuing higher education.

Replying to a debate in the Legislative Assembly on the government’s initiatives, Revanth Reddy said a recent caste survey conducted by the state had established that the key reason for social backwardness was lack of access to education rather than possession of assets or property. “If we have to compete with the world, there is a need to discuss what needs to be incorporated into the education system,” he said.

He said the government had constituted an Education Commission to formulate a new education policy for Telangana and appointed a committee headed by K. Keshava Rao to examine its report. The government was willing to consider suggestions and advice from legislators and the public, if submitted to Keshava Rao, he said.

Increasing the education sector’s share in the state budget to 15 per cent was one of the government’s goals, he added.

Responding to BJP MLA Aleti Maheshwar Reddy’s criticism over the absence of a full-time education minister, Revanth Reddy said the fact that the Chief Minister himself was handling the portfolio showed the importance attached to education. “When I review the education department as Chief Minister, the entire system comes under review,” he said, adding that he had a passion for the education sector and had retained the portfolio with the objective of transforming it.

Revanth Reddy said the education budget had been substantially increased under the Congress government. Against the `19,093 crore allocated by the previous BRS government in 2023-24, the Congress government allocated `21,292 crore in 2024-25, `23,108 crore in 2025-26 and `26,647 crore in 2026-27. “In just three years, we have increased the Education Department’s budget by `7,554 crore,” he said.

The Chief Minister said his government had filled 10,006 teacher posts within 55 days of assuming office in its first year, without any allegations of irregularities in the recruitment process. In contrast, the previous government had appointed only 7,857 teachers in 10 years, he said.

He said the government was adopting the best practices from across the world while framing the new education policy, keeping future generations in mind. He said the future of the country was shaped in classrooms, and education had the power to change the destiny of individuals, which was why he had retained the Education portfolio.

Referring to the increase in student enrolment in government schools, he said the number of students had risen by 86,000 after he took charge of the education department. He described the increase as an indication of the performance of the government’s education initiatives.

He said parents were increasingly opting for private schools because children were being admitted at around two-and-a-half years of age, whereas government schools traditionally admitted children at around five years. The availability of nursery and LKG education and greater emphasis on English in private schools were also influencing parental choices, he said.

To address this gap, the government had introduced pre-primary education in government schools for the first time, with 64,000 children receiving pre-primary education this year, Mr Revanth said. The government was also providing mid-day meals to students and teachers from nursery to Class 12 and had designed centralised kitchens to provide quality, hygienic breakfast and meals.

He said the government was focusing on providing nutritious food to students and had increased diet and cosmetic charges soon after assuming office, accusing the previous BRS government of failing to address these issues for a decade.