Daily wrap of news and developments from Andhra Pradesh includes Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s push for "Quantum Valley", a report on the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes.
Published Mar 11, 2025 | 1:10 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 11, 2025 | 1:10 PM
Retd IAS officer submits report on SC sub-classification. (Supplied)
Synopsis: In Tuesday’s wrap of news and developments in Andhra Pradesh— Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu aims to make the state a leader in quantum technology, announcing the creation of a “Quantum Valley” in collaboration with IIT Madras, TCS, and IBM. Meanwhile, Minister N Lokesh highlighted efforts to support children with special needs, with 679 Bhavita Centers and plans for 125 more. Retired IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan Mishra submitted a report on the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes to ensure equitable benefits from reservation policies.
Tech-savvy Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is pushing for the extensive use of quantum technology to bring revolutionary advancements in various fields.
He wrote on X, “Just as we led the Information Technology revolution in the 1990s, we want Andhra Pradesh to lead advancements in Quantum Technology, securing a first-mover advantage in this transformative field.”
Chandrababu Naidu announced setting up a task force and working on a plan to create a “Quantum Valley”, a “world-class” quantum computing hub in Andhra Pradesh that aligns with the National Quantum Mission.
This initiative is being undertaken in collaboration with IIT Madras, TCS, and IBM. It is expected to help the state become a national hub for quantum computing research, attracting top-tier talent and global investments.
He referred to a key meeting organized on Monday, 10 March, at the state secretariat in Velagapudi in Amaravati, to drive this effort.
Participants included Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons SN Subrahmanyan, Chairman & MD of L&T; Prof Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology; Dr JBV Reddy, Head, Quantum Technology Centre, DST; Prof Satyanarayana Kalidindi, Director, IIT Tirupati; Prof Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras; Dr Amith Singhee, Director, IBM Research India; and Mr Venkat Subramaniam, IBM Quantum India Leader.
Minister for Education and IT, N Lokesh, in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, noted that parents with children with special needs are facing numerous challenges, as private organizations taking advantage of their needs are charging up to ₹50,000
In response to a suggestion by Yalamanchili MLA Sundarapu Vijay Kumar during the question hour in the state Assembly on Tuesday, March 11, Lokesh stated that the Central Government has established a Rehabilitation Council and decided to provide special education for 9 out of 21 categories of differently-abled individuals. Speaking of the state’s efforts, he added, “To support this initiative, the state is running 679 Bhavita Centers, each staffed with two IER (Institute for Educational Research) teachers, totalling 1,358 teachers across the state. Currently, 41,119 individuals are registered at these centres.
Based on the funds allocated in the Central Budget, the state has proposed setting up 125 new centres, with one centre planned for every municipality by 2025-26. The Minister expressed confidence that these proposals would receive full approval. He further explained that the teacher-to-student ratio should be 1:10 at the primary level and 1:15 at the secondary level. Recruitment at the secondary level needs to be addressed.
The government’s goal is to support children and their families. A committee will be formed with members to discuss new technologies and teaching methods, and decisions will be made accordingly, Lokesh added.
Retired IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan Mishra who headed the one-man commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, on sub-classification of the Scheduled castes, submitted his report to the state government on Monday, 10 March, an official press release said on Tuesday, 11 March.
The commission was constituted under GO.Ms.No.86, Social Welfare Dept, on 15 November, 2024.
The brief given to the commission was to make specific recommendations on the Sub-Classification of Scheduled Castes to ensure the benefits of reservation policies are equitably distributed among various sub-groups of Scheduled Castes in the State of Andhra Pradesh with certain terms and conditions.
The Commission assumed charge on 27 November 2024 and issued a public notification under Rule.4 (1) (b) of the Andhra Pradesh Commission of Inquiry Rules, 1968.
After comprehensive touring of 13 erstwhile districts of AP and conducting stakeholder meetings, the commission submitted its report consisting of recommendations to the Chief Secretary.
