AMARAVATI: The Andhra Pradesh Higher Education Department on Monday issued guidelines for the implementation of the prestigious programme for students ‘Jagananna Vidya Deevena’. The scheme, which is part of Navaratnalu, a basket of welfare schemes being implemented by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, endeavours to pay full fee reimbursement for eligible student beneficiaries.
The scheme will ensure that students from low-income households get Rs 20,000 per year for their hostel and mess fees. The money will be credited directly into the account of the mothers of the students in two instalments each year. This will cost the government exchequer Rs 2,300 crore while the scheme is expected to benefit 11,87,904 students.
Special Chief Secretary for Higher Education Satish Chandra issued GO No 14 to this effect. The guidelines for implementation of the Jagananna Vidya Deevena include:
- Colleges must conform to the notification of State Higher Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission on Fees. No unauthorized fees (such as donations) or capitation fees should be collected.
- No other fees should be charged other than the fees stipulated by the government. The additional profit received by the management should be spent for the educational institution rather than its own. Students' certificates should not be suspended for the purpose of fee reimbursement.
- The institution should follow the directions of regulatory bodies like UGC, AICTE, PCI and APSCHE. The process of online affiliation and admissions should be undertaken. The institution should upload online the students’ records pertaining to their academic performance besides other relevant records.
- Attendance of students, teaching and non-teaching staff must be recorded by Aadhaar-linked Biometric Attendance.
However, fee reimbursement does not apply if a student's attendance is less than 75%.
- Follow the security and data privacy protocols. The institution should conduct courses approved by the government and the relevant regulatory bodies and only the courses that are allotted for fee reimbursement.
- The government will take action against institutions and their managements if they flout regulations by not following the prescribed guidelines. Those colleges will also be excluded from the fee reimbursement scheme.
- This scheme applies to accredited organizations in accordance with the income limit prescribed for fee reimbursement. This scheme does not apply to deemed and private varsities. This scheme is not applicable for students studying in distance learning and correspondence courses, student belonging to management and NRI quotas.
- The Department of Social Welfare acts as the nodal unit for the scheme.
MLC Lella Appi Reddy, submitted a formal letter to the Deputy Secretary of the GAD 
