Education Over Politics: Lessons Chandrababu Must Learn from Delhi CM Rekha Gupta
While the TDP-led government under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has rolled back several progressive education reforms introduced by the previous YSRCP administration, his Delhi counterpart Rekha Gupta from the BJP — a key TDP ally—has taken a contrasting approach: building upon existing initiatives, enhancing them, and introducing new programs focused on long-term educational impact.
Quality education is the cornerstone of a better life. That was the belief widely propagated by YSRCP President and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy during his tenure in office.
Under his leadership, a series of ambitious initiatives were launched to elevate educational standards in Andhra Pradesh. These included the Mana Badi–Naadu Nedu, the introduction of English-medium instruction, IELTS training programs, and the distribution of Android tablets to Class VIII students. Andhra Pradesh also became the first state in the country to introduce Interactive Flat Panels (IFPs) in government schools.
Additionally, the YSRCP government secured CBSE affiliation for 230 government schools and laid the groundwork for introducing the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum from the 2025–26 academic year.
These reforms were aimed at equipping students with 21st-century skills and preparing them to become global citizens. Y.S. Jagan frequently emphasized integrating emerging technologies—such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR)—into school curricula to better prepare students for the global job market.
However, following the TDP-led NDA’s victory in the 2024 elections, many of these educational reforms were abruptly dismantled.
Students who were preparing to appear for CBSE Class X exams were suddenly declared incompetent and shifted back to the State Board. The distribution of tablets was halted, the Naadu-Nedu program was withdrawn, IELTS training was discontinued, and the IB curriculum never materialized.
The rollback extended to welfare schemes as well. The TDP government failed to fulfil its promise of providing ₹15,000 to mothers of school-going children—a benefit previously disbursed under the YSRCP’s Amma Vodi scheme. Furthermore, crucial higher education support programs such as Vidya Deevena, Vasathi Deevena, and Videshi Vidya Deevena were discontinued.
Instead of building on the previous government's momentum, the TDP government prioritized superficial changes—such as altering school uniforms — alleging they reflected the YSRCP party colours.
In contrast, the BJP government in Delhi, despite being politically opposed to the AAP, has retained and expanded several of its predecessor’s educational initiatives. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s administration has launched bold reforms to modernize the city’s education system, focusing on digital infrastructure, inclusive curricula, and skill-based learning.
Delhi’s BJP government has allocated ₹100 crore to establish 60 new CM Shri Schools, modelled after the central government’s PM Shri initiative, in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. These schools are designed to offer holistic, multilingual, and skill-based education in smart classrooms with advanced infrastructure.
Taking a cue from Y.S. Jagan’s digital push, the Delhi government has also committed ₹100 crore to convert 9,000 classrooms into smart classrooms and set up CBSE-compliant computer labs. Moreover, 1,200 students transitioning from Class 10 to 11 will receive free laptops.
Some AAP-era programs have been creatively rebranded. For instance, the new Science of Living curriculum—replacing the Happiness Curriculum—focuses on mindfulness, empathy, managing screen time, and elder care, thus blending emotional development with academics.
Additionally, the earlier Business Blasters initiative has been replaced with NEEEV (New Era of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Vision), which promotes entrepreneurship, and digital and financial literacy among students from Classes 8–12. Under this program, each student group receives ₹20,000 to develop startup ideas through experiential learning.
These developments suggest that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu could take a lesson from his Delhi counterpart.
Politics should be a platform for public service and transformative change. However, Naidu’s administration appears to be invested only in reversing the work of the previous government. This regressive approach jeopardizes the future of millions of children—who deserve access to quality education.
For many, education is a stepping stone to high-paying jobs. For most, it is the only escape from poverty.
