HYDERABAD: Being children of a farmer, coolie, hamali or an ordinary tailor is no bar to excel in education. They have proved it. And proved it right. The Children of coolies, daily wage earners, auto drivers etc. from Andhra Pradesh have made it. They were from the Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Residential Junior College, New Nagole, Hyderabad who have qualified in the IIT-Joint Entrance Examination this year.

The Chief Minister Mr N Kiran Kumar Reddy made a gesture by rewarding them each a cash award of Rs.50,000.00. This is for the first time that the State Government is rewarding Rs.50,000/-, till now it was only Rs.10,000/-. The students were elated and later spoke to the media about their studies, performances and experience in the Social Welfare Residential Junior College.

The Chief Minister told the students “Well done, You have done not only proud for your parents, family, village and State, but for the students belonging to the lower income community. You have shown them that even students whose parents are farmers, daily wage earners, hamalis and auto drivers etc. can excel in studies and go places if they work hard and study well”.

The 18 students who were qualified in the 2012 IIT-Joint Entrance Examination met the Chief Minister today at the Secretariat along with Prominent Educationist and MLC, Mr. Chukka Ramaiah, Principal Secretary, Social Welfare, Mr. Raymond Peter and other officials.

Given proper opportunity, these students proved that they can compete with the best ones and fare excellently in any competitive examinations.

The Chief Minister congratulated the students for their excellent performance. He also greeted the teachers and officials of the A.P. Social Welfare Residential Junior College, New Nagole. The Chief Minister said that the State Government is giving top priority to Education and spending huge amounts on scholarships, fee reimbursements and also on hostels for SC, ST, BC and minority students. The Government is firm to promote quality education among the students whose parents are from low income families and whose parents are daily wage earners and farmers.

Out of the 18 students who are qualified in the IIT-JEE, 17 belonged to the SC and one ST. Parents of six children were coolies (daily wage earners), four were farmers, others a hamali, daily labour, IKP workers, tailor and auto driver. The students are D. John Surya, Chintalapudi (W.G.Dist.), V.Bhanu Chander, Bibinagar (Nalgonda Dist.), T.Rama Krishna, Rajam (Srikakulam Dist.), Ch.Kiran Kumar, Chirala (Prakasam Dist.), A.Suresh, Settur(Anantapur Dist.), A.Srikanth, Geesugonda (Warangal Dist.), B.Ravi, Ponnaluru (Prakasam Dist.), B.Sunitha, Rajanagaram (E.G.Dist.), S.Lavanya, Warangal, G.Ram Prasad, Bhamini (Srikakulam Dist.), D.Bhushanam, Parvathipuram (Vizianagaram Dist.), P.Rakesh, Chinna Chintakunta (Mahabubnagar Dist.), T.Kranthi Kumar, Chittamuru (Nellore Dist.), G.Madhu, Tripuraram (Nalgonda Dist.), D.Adarsh, Ibrahimpatnam (Krishna Dist.), K.Mahender, Veenavanka (Karimnagar Dist.), S.Maha Jyothi, Tanguturu (Prakasam Dist.) and J.Usha Sree, Parakala (Warangal Dist.).

The students thanked the Chief Minister for the kind gesture and words of encouragement when they met him. They also thanked the teachers and officials for all the cooperation and encouragement given to them.