Andhra Pradesh will begin distribution of 4.35 lakh tabs among Class 8 students of government schools from December 21, the birthday of Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
These tabs, loaded with Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, are worth Rs.638 crore.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the State Cabinet chaired by the Chief Minister.
Last year, the government had distributed 5.18 lakh tabs preloaded with Byju’s premium content free of cost among Class 8 students at an expense of Rs.666 crore.
The programme is part of the government’s efforts to make students globally competitive.
The Cabinet also approved the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the proposed Visakhapatnam Light Metro Project.
It also gave its nod to launch the second phase of Jagananna Arogya Suraksha from January 1 and enhance free medical treatment limit under YSR Aarogyasri to Rs 25 lakh and make it applicable to all who have annual income up to Rs 5 lakh so that 90 per cent of the families would benefit.
The Chief Minister will launch the enhanced beneficial Aarogyasri scheme and distribution of new Aarogyasri cards on December 18.
Along with health workers, YSRCP MLAs will also participate in the public awareness campaign on how to use the free medical treatment for 3,257 ailments and procedures under Aarogyasri which has been allotted Rs 4,400 crore for the year.
The Cabinet also approved the proposal to pay Rs 300 towards charges for patients who visit hospitals again for re-consultation after undergoing treatment under Arogyasri and make door delivery of WHO standard medicines to all who undergo treatment.
People will also be asked to download Aarogyasri App and health teams with the help of secretariat staff.
It has also decided to enhance the monthly social pension from Rs 2,750 to Rs 3,000 from January 1 and distribute Rs 6,394 crore towards the fourth and last tranche of YSR Asara from January 10 to 23 and YSR Cheyuta to the beneficiaries from January 29 to February 10.
The hiked pensions would be distributed from January 1 to 8.
Besides approving the reforms introduced in the granting of caste and income certificates, the Cabinet has also decided to establish Additional District Sessions Court at Tadepalligudem in West Godavari district, enhance DA by 15 per cent to police personnel working in anti-Maoist operations and pay DA and DR to working and retired court staff on par with central Government staff.
The Cabinet has decided to appoint cricketer Ambati Rayudu and other sports persons as brand ambassadors for the sports festival Adudam Andhra for which 1.14 crore registrations have been received so far. The festival will run for 51 days.