Telangana seeks Centre to relax FRBM limit to raise funds for Young India Schools

Hyderabad: Telangana Government has urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to secure Rs 30,000 crore funds for the construction of ‘Young India Integrated Residential Schools’ and allied investments in the education sector, outside the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act (FRBM) limits.

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, who met Nirmala Sitharaman in the national capital on Thursday night, submitted a memorandum.

He said the estimated financial outlay for the comprehensive education sector transformation would be Rs 30,000 crore, which includes Rs 21,000 crore for the construction of 105 YIIRS campuses and an additional Rs 9,000 crore for allied investments across the education sector.

“To mobilise these resources, the State Government proposes to raise loans through a special purpose corporation established for construction and allied investments. We earnestly request that these borrowings be exempted from the State’s FRBM limits, as this is a long-term capital investment in human development rather than routine consumption of expenditure,” the memorandum said.

YIIRS model not merely about new buildings: Bhatti

The YIIRS model is not merely about new buildings; it is a system-wide transformation. It envisions multidisciplinary learning, AI-enabled classrooms, STEM and vocational labs, robust nutrition services, sports and arts integration, and safe, gender-sensitive residential facilities, he said in the letter.

Each campus will also provide staff residences, health units, counselling services, and sustainability features such as rooftop solar, rainwater harvesting, water recycling and waste management systems.

In short, YIIRS seeks to create world-class learning environments for the poorest of Telangana’s children, aligning with SDG (Sustainable Development Goal)-4 and India’s commitment to inclusive and equitable education, he further said.

The initiative is in harmony with the national priority of human capital formation, and it will accelerate the collective march towards the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, he added.