AP has re-scripted curriculum: CM YS Jagan

Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh government has re-scripted the curriculum, facilitating job-oriented education by opening a new chapter, fresh online verticals and certified courses, said Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Addressing the brimming audience at the Microsoft upskilling certificate award ceremony organised at Andhra University convocation hall here on Friday, the Chief Minister lauded the efforts of the Microsoft for imparting technical skills to the students, inducing confidence in them and preparing them to join the competitive market.

Currently, 1.62 lakh students in AP are getting trained by Microsoft. Of them, 35,980 students completed the upskilling programme, the first-of-its-kind in the country. The course thus offered help students qualify as technical associates in various streams such as cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, data analysis, web designing and Internet of Things, among 40 different courses listed by Microsoft.

With the certificate thus earned, the prospect of getting a job turns out to be easier. "For 1.62 lakh students to get trained in such certificate courses would cost about Rs 465 crore. However, Microsoft has agreed to offer the same for Rs 32 crore which was borne by the state government as it would ease the financial burden on students who would otherwise have to spend Rs 30,000 each for the course," the Chief Minister stated.

Compared to BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries, the gross enrolment ratio (GER) in Andhra Pradesh indicated 27 per cent. "This is basically because not many parents could bear the financial burden of their wards' education. There is a need to change the GER in the state. By providing a favourable atmosphere to the students and quality education, the state government is considering concrete measures to revamp the education sector and usher in change in every aspect by viewing it in a magnifying glass," the CM stated.

Despite the presence of several degree courses, the Chief Minister said, the biggest problem in the country is the need to ponder whether such degrees make students job-ready or not. There is a need to polish the degrees so that students get empowered as soon as they step out of the college campus, the Chief Minister opined.

Introduction of English as medium of instruction at the primary level, schemes such as Vidya Deevena, Amma Vodi, Vasathi Deevena, Vidya Kanuka and Goru Mudda, aim at not just catering to the educational needs of the students but also changing the landscape of education in the state, equipping the students to meet global challenges, the Chief Minister asserted.

Conveying the message of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Navtez Singh Bal of Microsoft India said, "Going forward, Microsoft will continue to play a role in empowering students of Andhra Pradesh to achieve more."

Meanwhile, a couple of students who availed the Microsoft free upskilling programme shared their experiences on stage. Likhita Nakkanti, a B.Sc. student, highlighted how the course equipping the student community in becoming job-ready.