Telangana prison inmates get opportunity to pursue SSC, Intermediate courses

Hyderabad: Prison inmates in Telangana will now have an opportunity to pursue Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Intermediate courses through the Telangana Open School Society (TOSS), under an initiative aimed at promoting education and rehabilitation in prisons.

The Telangana Prisons Department, in collaboration with TOSS, launched the Open Schooling Programme for prison inmates on Saturday at an event attended by Principal Secretary to the Education Department Dr Yogita Rana, Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services Dr Soumya Mishra and others.

Under the programme, inmates will be provided with study material, academic support and regular classes on Sundays and second Saturdays, Soumya Mishra said. There is no upper age limit for enrolment, and those completing Intermediate will also be eligible to pursue higher education, subject to admission requirements.

As many as 70 prisoners have already expressed interest in enrolling for SSC and another 15 for Intermediate courses. The Prisons Department is making efforts to encourage more inmates to take advantage of the opportunity, she said.

Yogita Rana said special TOSS centres would be established in prisons to facilitate the programme. A concession of Rs 1,250 would also be provided towards the course fee for inmates. She also assured support for establishing libraries in prisons and assisting with the education of children of prisoners facing financial difficulties.

TOSS Director K Lingaiah said classes could be conducted on days other than Sundays and second Saturdays, depending on the requirements of prison authorities.