Human Resources Development Minister Nara Lokesh has pledged to introduce the Thalliki Vandanam initiative starting from the upcoming academic year. This program aims to offer financial aid to students pursuing higher education. The detailed plan will be crafted in consultation with relevant stakeholders, as stated by the minister during his responses in the AP Legislative Council session on Wednesday.
Highlighting that the scheme will be inclusive of students from both public and private schools, Minister Lokesh mentioned that multiple students from a single family may benefit from the scheme. “Discussions are underway with authorities from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi to finalize the implementation strategies,” he remarked.
Members of the council observed that the previous YSRC government provided financial support under the ‘Amma Vodi’ scheme, granting students Rs 15,000. However, a portion of Rs 2,000 was reportedly allocated for other purposes, resulting in beneficiaries receiving only Rs 13,000.
Additionally, Minister Lokesh expressed intentions to reassess the agreements made by the prior administration with the Educational Testing Service (India) for conducting assessments, including the TOEFL exam components assessing students’ language skills. While not opposed to English as a medium of instruction for Class 3 students, he noted the limited availability of teachers trained for such classes. Considering the TOEFL exam’s focus on American English skills, Minister Lokesh suggested that training for Class 3 students might not be necessary.
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