‘Thalliki Vandanam’ scheme rollout likely in July

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh govt is set to launch the ‘Thalliki Vandanam’ financial assistance scheme in the third week of July, with education and IT minister Nara Lokesh directing officials to expedite all preparatory work, including Aadhaar verification of beneficiaries.Reviewing progress of key education initiatives at his Undavalli residence, Lokesh emphasised the need to boost enrolment in govt schools and asked officials to take special measures. Officials informed him that Aadhaar verification of mothers under the scheme is nearing completion, paving the way for its rollout.The govt has scheduled the ‘Shining Stars’ programme on June 29, while a mega parent-teacher meeting (PTM) will be held in the third week of July.

Discussions also covered teacher rationalisation and staff adjustments.No delay in entrance tests, says LokeshAt a separate review with higher education officials, the minister stressed that notifications for all state-level entrance exams, including AP EAPCET, POLYCET and AP RCET, must be released on schedule to ensure a smooth admission cycle.He directed officials to align exam schedules with national-level tests and those conducted by neighbouring states to avoid inconvenience to students.

Lokesh also asked officials to explore increasing seats in government engineering and polytechnic colleges. Officials noted strong demand for Mechanical and Civil Engineering courses in polytechnics.Preparations are under way for admissions to around 1.88 lakh engineering seats across 254 govt and private colleges through AP EAPCET, officials said.