SC, ST students protest in Suryapet demanding restoration of Best Available School Scheme

SC and ST students, along with their parents, staged a sit-in at Suryapet Collectorate, demanding the immediate restoration of the Best Available School Scheme (BASS). The protest comes after Telangana government halted fee reimbursements, affecting nearly 25,000 students in private schools.

Suryapet: Students from Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities staged a sit-in protest along with their parents on Thursday in front of the Suryapet Collectorate, demanding the immediate restoration of the Best Available School Scheme (BASS).

People who took part in the demonstration, voiced their frustration with the Congress-led Telangana government’s decision to stop fee reimbursements for poor students enrolled in private schools. The private managements unable to meet the expenses of the students already enrolled under the BASS, are threatening to send the beneficiary students back to their parents.

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The BASS was introduced in 2008 by the undivided Andhra Pradesh government. It helped in enrolling children from economically disadvantaged SC and ST families in the best private institutions. Under the scheme, the state reimburses annual fees—up to Rs 28,000 for primary students and Rs 42,000 for upper primary levels, including hostel facilities—to over 227 participating private schools across Telangana, benefiting nearly 25,000 students statewide.