Andhra Pradesh’s Backward Classes Welfare Minister S. Savitha on Wednesday said the coalition government had accorded top priority to the welfare, education and empowerment of the Backward Classes (BCs) by allocating ₹39,000 crore in its first budget, ₹47,000 crore in the second and ₹51,000 crore in the third budget.

Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat in Amaravati, Ms. Savitha described the allocations as evidence of the government’s commitment to the uplift of BCs, who constitute more than half of the State’s population.

Highlighting the achievements of the coalition government in the last two years, she said 109 Mahatma Jyotirao Phule (MJP) residential schools, including 56 boys and 53 girls’ institutions, were currently providing education to about 50,000 students. Ten new MJP schools were being established, while six girls’ schools had been upgraded into junior colleges, creating higher education opportunities for 960 students. “The government is spending up to ₹1.5 lakh annually per student in the MJP institutions and has initiated construction of permanent buildings with ₹500 crore,” she said.

Ms. Savitha said BC students recorded outstanding academic results, with MJP institutions achieving a 96% pass rate in SSC examinations and 94% in Intermediate. Special excellence centres for NEET and IIT coaching were being set up in the Sri Sathya Sai and Visakhapatnam districts.

The Minister said significant improvements were made in 998 BC hostels accommodating about 85,000 students. Funds were allocated for repairs, RO plants, CCTV cameras, inverters, sanitation facilities and better food. She added that 78% of parents expressed satisfaction with hostel functioning in a recent survey.

The government also provided free coaching for Civil Services, DSC and other competitive examinations through BC Study Circles. According to the Minister, 280 candidates secured teaching jobs after receiving DSC coaching.

Ms. Savitha announced that the government was preparing to bring out a ‘BC Protection Act-2026’ to safeguard the dignity, rights and social justice of 138 BC communities. She also reiterated the government’s commitment to enhancing political representation for BCs through reservation in elected and nominated posts.