Among the states that will elect their new assemblies this year is Andhra Pradesh. All parties here are thus out to woo different sections of society. While the Bharatiya Janata Party, ruling in Delhi, has decided to introduce 10 per cent quota for poor savarnas, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu is distributing cars to Brahmin youth.
The government has named this scheme as Swarozgar Yojana. On 4 January 2019, Naidu handed over keys of cars to 50 beneficiaries.
The scheme is being implemented by the Andhra Pradesh Brahmin Welfare Corporation. Under the scheme, Brahmin youths are given up to Rs 2 lakh as loan subsidy. They have to spend only 10 per cent of the price to buy a car. The remaining amount is paid by the Andhra Pradesh government, recoverable from the beneficiaries in instalments.
According to corporation’s chairman, Vemuri Anand Surya, their schemes have benefited 1.5 lakh Brahmin youth to date. The corporation was formed in 2015 and its motto is “re-establishing and preserving the glory of the Brahmins”. According to Anand Surya, the corporation will be distributing 140 lakh smartphones so that the light of knowledge can reach each Brahmin household.
The schemes being implemented by the corporation include Vedvyasa scheme, Gayathri scheme, Bharati scheme and Vasista scheme. Under the Vedvyasa scheme, Brahmins who want to study the Vedas get assistance. Under the Gayathri Scheme, Brahmin students are awarded scholarships for educational excellence while Bharati scheme is meant to provide scholarships to students who are unable to pursue further studies due to financial constraints. Under the Vasista Scheme, financial help is extended to Brahmin students appearing in competitive examinations.
Translation: Amrish Herdenia; copy-editing: Anil
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The Case for Bahujan Literature
Dalit Panthers: An Authoritative History
Mahishasur: Mithak wa Paramparayen
