Vijayawada: As the afternoon sun casts a golden glow over the courtyard of the SRR & CVR Government Junior College in Vijayawada—established in 1996—students line up neatly to receive their mid-day meals.
Among the 1,064 students at Sri Raja Rangayyappa Rao & Chunduri Venkata Reddy Junior College (SRR & CVR) is Bindu Rekha, a Class 12 Science student and daughter of a tent house worker. Earlier, she used to bring tiffin from home, which would invariably turn cold by lunchtime. Now, she gets a hot, freshly cooked meal on campus. It makes a difference.
“Every day, I look forward to rice, curry, and egg, and occasionally, chikki (a sweet made from jaggery and nuts),” Bindu Rekha said.
According to education officials and junior college heads, the introduction of mid-day meals has measurably impacted student enrolment and attendance across Andhra Pradesh’s (AP) government-run junior colleges.
Enrolment up, attendance rising
Data accessed by ThePrint for the 2025–26 academic year shows an increase in student enrolment in government junior colleges. A total of 1,51,651 students were enrolled—4,285 more than the previous academic year, reflecting a 2.9 percent rise. Class 11 enrolments accounted for 75 percent of that increase.
Officials say the provision of hot meals is also having an academic impact.
Kritika Shukla, the Secretary of the Board of Intermediate Education, which oversees government junior colleges, said, “Even our pass percentage in IPE (Intermediate Public Examination) in March this year reached a 10-year high of 69 percent for Class 12 or 2nd-year students. I believe this is one of the positive outcomes of the mid-day meal scheme.”
“Classrooms that were previously struggling with attendance are now witnessing improved student engagement,” she told ThePrint.
On 3 August, ThePrint visited several junior colleges in Vijayawada and neighbouring districts, finding not just improved attendance but also a rise in enrolment.
Principals on the ground concur. SRR & CVR Junior College Principal S. Krishna Kanth reported a visible increase in student attendance.
“Our student attendance rate for June, July, and August this year was higher than last year,” he said.
The college reported a five percent rise in its June attendance rate compared to the 2024–25 academic year. The July attendance rate, similarly, showed a nine percent improvement. The August attendance rate increased by five percent, when compared to the previous academic year. These gains were seen across both classes 11 and 12.
Elsewhere, rising enrolment has created space constraints. At Payakapuram Government Junior College, some students are forced to sit outside classrooms due to a lack of space.
“There has been an increase of 117 in student enrolment at our college. Our current strength across classes 11 and 12 is 356, compared to 239 last year,” said Sandhya Madhuri, the principal of the college in Vijayawada’s NTR district.
“The state [education] department has promised us a new building complex to accommodate the growing number of students,” she added.
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Extending mid-day meal scheme
Of the nearly 60,000 schools in Andhra Pradesh, roughly 44,000 are government-run.
Until recently, the mid-day meal programme was limited to government schools up to Class 10, benefiting nearly 32 lakh students.
At the start of 2025, Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh extended the mid-day meal scheme to 475 government junior colleges (classes 11 and 12), bringing an additional 1.51 lakh students under it.
The goal? To address nutritional deficiencies and improve student participation, says Kritika Shukla.
“Most of our students come from economically weaker sections, so we see cases of malnutrition and iron deficiency (anaemia). With students taking up part-time work in the afternoons to support their families, low attendance is also a recurring issue,” Shukla said.
To extend the scheme to junior colleges, the education department earmarked Rs 85.84 crore for the 2025–26 academic year.
“This initiative not only addresses hunger and nutritional well-being but also helps reduce dropouts. It ensures that students from underprivileged backgrounds can continue their studies with dignity, without the burden of food insecurity,” she added.
The scheme is part of a broader set of educational reforms introduced by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s government since taking office last year. These reforms aim to improve both the quality of education and student outcomes.
Coaching for competitive exams
In June this year, the AP government also launched free coaching for government junior college students preparing for competitive exams, such as JEE, NEET, and AP EAP CET (Engineering, Agriculture, and Pharmacy Common Entrance Test).
The scheme provides mandatory free coaching and study materials in mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology to the students in the Science stream.
“Last year, when we asked our state toppers about appearing for JEE or NEET, they were clueless!” Shukla said. “That’s why we launched this initiative—to help students take responsibility for their future.”
The coaching scheme currently covers Science students opting for either the biology-physics-chemistry or maths-physics-chemistry combination. Plans are also underway to start CA foundation coaching for aspiring chartered accountants.
However, challenges such as a lack of formal teacher training for providing academic coaching persist.
Driving aspirations
A transformation is quietly unfolding across AP’s government junior colleges—not just through hot meals, but through rising aspirations among students from modest backgrounds.
At Payakapuram Government Junior College, K. Anuvatsalya, the daughter of an auto-rickshaw driver, now dreams of becoming a gynaecologist.
“I’m getting free coaching materials from the government… very helpful,” she said.
It’s not just about books. Science students receive two hours of free coaching on weekdays—from 3 pm to 5 pm—for exams like NEET and JEE. Over weekends, they take regular tests to track learning progress.
College principals see this as a critical step towards levelling the playing field for economically disadvantaged students. The initiative, they say, isn’t just about cracking exams—it’s about creating a fair shot at a better future.
“There are 145 Science students in our college receiving free coaching. The government is also providing study materials for all subjects at no cost,” said Payakapuram Government Junior College Principal Sandhya Madhuri.
While students and teachers welcome the initiative, its true impact will only be known next year, when students take these competitive exams. Those results will also reflect the quality of teaching.
Training teachers
Despite the positive developments, the reforms are not without challenges.
One major hurdle is the lack of formal teacher training for competitive exam coaching. While college lecturers are experienced in their subject areas, many lack familiarity with national-level exam formats. The government is stepping in to bridge the gap.
“Before the academic year started in June, teachers underwent orientation sessions on coaching delivery. We also conduct monthly training to help them adapt,” said Shukla, adding that private experts designed the course material to meet competitive exam standards.
Still, many teachers turn to online platforms for extra support. Aryapathi Thumburu, a maths professor at SRR & CVR Junior College, shared how faculty members collaborate.
“We have a teachers’ WhatsApp group where we exchange ideas and discuss competitive exam strategies. I also refer to Byju’s and PhysicsWallah for certain concepts,” Thumburu told ThePrint.
While teachers appreciate the initiative, many feel their additional efforts deserve recognition.
“I personally believe that faculty involved in competitive coaching should receive incentives,” said SRR & CVR Junior College Principal Krishna Kanth. “Also, more formal training by top educators would improve both subject knowledge and teaching skills.”
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)