HYDERABAD: The midday meal scheme will be extended to students in government junior colleges soon, said Deputy Chief Minister and education minister Kadiam Srihari. Speaking in the Assembly on Friday, he said the enrolment in government junior colleges has increased by nearly 10 per cent since the formation of Telangana state due to special focus laid by the TRS government on strengthening the institutions. “Students mostly from economically and socially backward classes take admission in government colleges. Since there is only one college at the mandal level, students from villages in that mandal take admission in that college,” he said.
“Students from poorer sections faced problems in going home for lunch. Because of this, there were several instances of dropouts and poor attendance. To overcome this, the government has proposed to extend the midday meal scheme to these students as well. The proposal is under the consideration of the Chief Minister,” he said. Government junior colleges had 77,763 students in 2014-15, which has increased to 90,716 with special measures such as providing free education, free textbooks and conducting enrolment drives.
