Hyderabad: It’s not simply authorities buildings that obtain a brand new coat of colors reflecting the “party in power”; in Andhra Pradesh, the hues of public college uniforms additionally change every time energy shifts arms. The Chandrababu Naidu administration has now unveiled a brand new uniform for college students of state-run faculties—cream and olive inexperienced.
That is starkly completely different from the lavender-purple and blue shade uniforms for women and boys, respectively, authorised in the course of the earlier Jagan Mohan Reddy authorities.
When the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Occasion (YSRCP) chief assumed workplace as Andhra Pradesh chief minister in 2019, the uniform colors have been blue and white, which he altered with impact from the 2020-21 tutorial yr.
Telugu Desam Occasion (TDP) basic secretary and minister for human useful resource improvement Lokesh posted on X Wednesday footage of a lady and boy scholar of their new uniform, to be adopted from the following tutorial yr (from June), stating that college students “will wear new uniforms with no party colours, no leader’s picture, and no government branding.”
College students in #AndhraPradesh will put on new uniforms with no celebration colors, no chief’s image and no authorities branding. Our focus is on high quality training and a brighter future for each little one! pic.twitter.com/bDWheVDnUI
— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) March 12, 2025
Lokesh’s reference to “leader’s picture and government branding” is an obvious allusion to the Jagan-Anna Vidya Kanuka college kits equipped in the course of the YSRCP tenure, which allegedly featured the then CM’s images on a few of the objects.
YSRCP leaders objected to Lokesh’s remarks, arguing that there isn’t a connection between the varsity uniforms in purple, universally accepted blue—and the YSRCP flag colors of blue, white, and inexperienced.
“Every government exercises its discretion to effect some beneficial changes, be it in any subject or sector. Lokesh’s perceptions may differ, and I cannot help that, but we never used school uniforms for political or publicity purposes,” Botcha Satyanarayana, a senior YSRCP chief and AP’s training minister from 2022 to 2024, instructed ThePrint.
“The TDP-led government and Lokesh, instead of improving the education sector, are regressing—doing away with the CBSE curriculum, English-medium education, and other initiatives Jagan introduced in government schools. Instead of implementing useful reforms, which we always welcome, the Naidu regime is wasting resources by introducing new-coloured uniforms,” Botsa added, whereas refuting insinuations that Jagan’s images have been placed on college luggage and different objects.
Lecturers’ associations are decrying the alteration each 5 years, arguing that political rivalries mustn’t have an effect on the training system, significantly in issues resembling uniforms.
“The word ‘uniform’ itself means constant and consistent. But oddly, governments—be it YSRCP five years ago or the TDP now—are making these unnecessary changes. This unsavoury and unnecessary trend should stop. It confuses both the children and the public,” Pakalapati Raghu Varma, an impartial MLC in AP, representing the Vizianagaram-Visakhapatnam-Srikakulam Lecturers’ constituency, instructed ThePrint.
Requested what the uniform color was in 2014 when united AP was bifurcated, a authorities highschool trainer at Narasaraopeta was unable to remember readily. “I hope at least from now on, the school uniform colour will remain the same,” the trainer stated sheepishly.
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Renaming schemes to drop Jagan’s identify
The Jagan-Anna Vidya Kanuka college kits equipped freed from cost by the earlier authorities included three pairs of uniforms, a pair of sneakers, a bag, a belt, and a dictionary. As an illustration, in June 2023, the Jagan authorities distributed these kits to round 40 lakh authorities college college students from Courses 1 to 10, apart from these learning in government-aided faculties, with officers stating that it value round Rs 1,042 crore.
From the upcoming college yr, the Jagan-Anna Vidya Kanuka scheme has been renamed the Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Vidyarthi Mitra scheme, which AP finance minister Payyavula Keshav, in his finances speech, stated “reduces financial burden on families by providing free books, uniforms, and essential supplies to 35.69 lakh students, ensuring equal access to education.”
Equally, Jagananna Gorumudda, launched by the earlier chief minister by upgrading the varsity mid-day meal menu, is now referred to as Dokka Seethamma Madhyana Badi Bhojanam, geared toward “enhancing students’ health and focus on learning by offering nutritious meals.”
Quickly after assuming energy in June, the TDP-led NDA authorities in AP issued orders eradicating Jagan’s identify from a number of authorities schemes, a lot of them within the training sector.
Accordingly, the Jagananna Vidya Deevena scheme was renamed the Publish Matric Scholarship (Refundable Tuition Payment), and Jagananna Vasathi Deevena grew to become the Publish Matric Scholarships (Upkeep Payment).
Jagananna Videshi Vidya Deevena (for SCs) was rebranded because the Ambedkar Abroad Vidya Nidhi, whereas YSR Vidyonnathi was renamed NTR Vidyonnathi.
One other incentive, Jagananna Civil Companies Protsahakam, was merely renamed Incentives for Civil Companies Examination.
The Naidu authorities had additionally instructed the instant removing of any trace of blue, white and inexperienced colors indicative of the YSRCP from all official web sites.
In one other shift, in September, Lokesh determined to permit 77,000 Class 10 college students to modify to SSC board evaluation this yr from CBSE mid-year, stating that Jagan’s unilateral CBSE curriculum shift had turned out to be a bane for 1000’s of scholars in state-run faculties, which have been ill-equipped to deal with central board exams. Jagan then slammed the TDP-led authorities’s transfer as “regressive, reflecting their anti-poor mindset.”
Whereas criticising the TDP command’s college uniform color change choice, former minister Botcha questioned the TDP’s ideas, stating that they have been “painting the Anna canteens and other government buildings in yellow”—a color recognized with Naidu’s celebration—“after having vehemently opposed the application of colours close to YSRCP on panchayat buildings during the YSRCP tenure”.
5 years in the past, the Jagan authorities was taken to court docket after it painted the gram panchayat and village secretariat buildings within the colors of the YSRCP flag, which it was subsequently ordered to take away. The Andhra Pradesh Excessive Court docket had final yr admitted a petition filed by Chandra Sekhar Reddy, former president of the Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers’ Affiliation, questioning the yellow paint, with a stripe of crimson, on government-run canteens serving subsidised meals to the poor.
Yellow, together with some crimson, is a distinguished characteristic of the TDP flag.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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