The Andhra Pradesh government, led by TDP and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, has started a scheme called ‘Talliki Vandanam’. Under this scheme, Rs 15,000 will be given every year for each school-going child in a family.This is one of the six major promises Naidu made before the 2024 elections. The scheme aims to support mothers or guardians by giving them financial help for their children’s education. It will apply to students from Class 1 to Intermediate (junior college).

No matter how many children a family has in school, each child will be covered under the scheme. The government will also consider new admissions in Class 1 and junior Intermediate while implementing this scheme. According to the government, around 67 lakh students and 43 lakh mothers in Andhra Pradesh will benefit from it. However, from the Rs 15,000 given per child, Rs 2,000 will be kept aside for improving school facilities like cleanliness, maintenance, and hygiene.

The Andhra Pradesh government says the ‘Talliki Vandanam’ scheme will make school education easier to access and more equal for all. The goal is to give every child a fair chance to study and do better in school. According to government secretary Kona Sasidhar, the scheme encourages mothers to take part in their child’s education from Class 1 to Class 12, as they play an important role in their child’s learning. The scheme will benefit all eligible children studying in government, private aided, and private unaided schools, as well as junior colleges.

The state plans to complete giving the money and starting the scheme between June 12 and July 5. The government has called ‘Talliki Vandanam’ the “mother of all welfare schemes”. It also hopes the scheme will inspire families to have more children, as part of a plan to manage the state’s falling population.