AP govt expands ‘Shining Star' awards to district & mandal levels

Time of India

06-06-2025

Vijayawada: After felicitating the state level rankers in both SSC and Intermediate, HRD minister Nara Lokesh has directed the education department to take up similar programmes at district and mandal level to encourage the meritorious students.
He asked the officials to felicitate top rankers in SSC and intermediate examinations with shining star awards.
Education secretary Kona Sasidhar asked the officials to ready the awardees lists based on the merit. He asked them to consider those students who secured 500 marks and above out of 600 marks in SSC for selection in a particular mandal. While two students from OC will be picked up, one each from SC, ST, BC and minority sections will be selected for awards.
As many six students will be selected in each mandal and also three toppers in Children With Special Needs (CWsN) will also be felicitated.
The awardees will cover students from all managements both in govt and private.
In Intermediate, the students who secured 830 and above marks shall be considered for selection in a particular district in the preceding academic year covering all managements. Each awardee will be felicitated with a certificate, medal and a cash award of Rs.20,000.
In addition, three students will be given Shining Star Award for their highest score in the entire District. Each awardee will be felicitated with a certificate, medal and a cash award of Rs.
20,000. Similarly, 36 awardees will be selected from 26 districts in Intermediate education covering all managements both in govt / private junior colleges in the state from MPC, BIPC, HEC, CEC/MEC and vocational streams and in each stream consisting of SC, ST, Minority, BC, OC and children with special needs (CWsN) categories for felicitation.
School education secretary Kona Sasidhar directed the director of govt examinations and Board of Intermediate Examinations to prepare the list of the students based on the merit secured in annual public examinations. In case where multiple students have secured the same marks and percentage as specified above, all such candidates shall be considered for the awards in their respective categories, said Sasidhar.
"The students shall be selected for Shining Stars Award irrespective of the income ceiling limit. The receipt of the award amount need not be linked to other welfare scholarship amounts received by the candidate by virtue of their other social/physical disadvantages, as the main objective of the scheme is to recognize the merit and to encourage continuity in their education. All the selected candidates shall be felicitated under Shining Stars Award," said Sasidhar.
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