AP won’t rename Kalam award
After backlash, Jagan scraps controversial govt order
The Andhra Pradesh School Education department had issued orders on Monday, renaming the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Pratibha Puraskar as YSR Vidya Puraskar.
Amaravati, Nov. 5: Facing flak from opposition parties including the Telugu Desam Party, the Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday cancelled a controversial order renaming an award named after former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and replacing it with that of late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s father. It also issued a new order renaming the award as APJ Abdul Kalam Vidya Puraskar. Principal Secretary, School Education, B. Rajasekhar issued the fresh order on Tuesday evening. The cancellation GO issued on Tuesday merely said Monday’s order was being cancelled on administrative grounds.
“The chief minister has taken a strong view of the GO, issued by School Education Principal Secretary B. Rajasekhar, without informing him about the change of name of the awards. Accordingly, he asked that the GO, issued on Monday, be revoked and Dr Kalam's name retained for the awards,” municipal administration minister Botsa Satyanarayana told reporters here.
The School Education department had issued orders on Monday, renaming the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Pratibha Puraskar as YSR Vidya Puraskar.
The awards, instituted in 2015, are presented to meritorious students of government schools who excel in the SSC (class X) public examinations. The award carries merit certificate, memento and scholarships to meet the cost of higher education.
It was earlier known as Prathibha Awards' but the then Chandrababu Naidu government changed the name to APJ Abdul Kalam Pratibha Puraskar in 2017 to honour the former president. This year, the School Education department decided to present the awards on National Education Day, the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, on November 11. The opposition Telugu Desam Party and the Jana Sena criticised the move.