Director of the School Education Department Thamim Ansariya announced that the “Shining Stars – 2026” district-level awards ceremony will be held simultaneously across all 28 districts of Andhra Pradesh on Monday (July 20, 2026) at 10 a.m.In a statement on Sunday (July 19, 2026), Ms. Ansariya said the Shining Stars awards scheme was introduced by the Government of Andhra Pradesh on June 6, 2025, to recognise and encourage meritorious students who secure outstanding marks in the SSC (Class X) Public Examinations. She said a total of 4,344 students had been selected for the “Shining Stars–2026” awards, comprising 2,960 (68.14%) girls and 1,384 (31.86%) boys.She said that in the SSC public examination conducted in March 2026, out of a total of 6,18,131 students who appeared, 5,26,954 passed, registering an overall pass percentage of 85.25%.Students had been selected for the award purely on merit basis, she said, adding that two students each were selected from the OC and BC categories from every mandal, one student each from the SC and ST categories from every mandal and three Children with Special Needs (CwSN) from each district.For selection under the OC, BC, SC, and ST categories, students securing at least 500 marks out of 600 (83.33%) were considered. For the CwSN category, students securing 70% or above were selected, she explained.Each awardee will receive a medal, a certificate of appreciation, and a cash award of ₹20,000. The district-level award ceremonies will be conducted under the chairmanship of the respective District In-charge Ministers and in the presence of the District Collectors. Ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs), Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs), and other distinguished guests.“The primary objective of this scheme is to recognise and encourage meritorious students, thereby motivating them to pursue excellence in education. All necessary arrangements have been completed to conduct the programme in a grand and well-organised manner across all districts,” said Ms. Ansariya, directing all District Educational Officers to verify the details of the awardees, inform their parents in advance, ensure that the students reach the venue on time and make all necessary arrangements for the smooth conduct of the programme. Published - July 19, 2026 08:31 pm IST