Private Schools Should Allocate 25% Seats for SC/ST Students, Declares Minister Adluri Laxman

Taking a major initiative towards inclusive education, Telangana SC and ST Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman on Tuesday declared that every private and corporate school in the state will have to allocate 25% seats to students belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities.

The minister spoke at a press conference that the admissions would be entirely funded by the state government in the proposed scheme. Eligible students would be chosen by the district collectors to guarantee transparency and accountability to the process.

This is a significant step towards offering equal educational opportunities to disadvantaged communities," Laxman said. "We intend to close the socio-economic gap by mainstreaming students from marginalised groups.

Emphasizing the government's increased emphasis on welfare schemes, Laxman also stated that the pending bills worth ₹210 crore concerning residential schools and hostels were settled. He expressed gratitude to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka for giving importance to releasing the long-pending funds, which created logistical issues for welfare institutions.

In order to further help students, the government intends to float tenders for the purchase of necessary school items, such as uniforms, shoes, and books, for students pursuing education in SC/ST welfare schools and hostels.

Responding to concerns following recent suicides among students in residential centers, Laxman accepted the gravity of the situation. "There are various factors — ranging from family pressures to social media impacts. We are determined to put preventive strategies in place," he stated, although no details were provided on steps to be taken.

With this new mandate, Telangana becomes the second state to actively promote balanced education, perhaps setting the stage for more sweeping reforms in the private education system.