The Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board has announced a talent test, ‘Taleem-e-Hunar’, for free residential intermediate education for 250 Muslim students. The selection will be purely on merit.

The selected students will get special coaching for IIT-JEE, NEET and EAPCET, besides free hostel accommodation, food and books. A 33% reservation is available for girl students.

AP Waqf Board chairman Shaik Abdul Aziz said it was a first-of-its-kind attempt in the country, and the State government was set on transforming the lives of poor Muslim students by providing corporate-level education.

Natives of Andhra Pradesh belonging to the BPL or LIG category, who have passed the SSC examination (2025-26 batch) with 450 marks and above, or CBSE/ICSE with 75% or above, are eligible for the scheme.

Mr. Aziz said the talent test would be conducted on May 17. The last date for submitting applications online at apwaqfboard is May 12.

The Waqf Board has also announced that the intake will be raised to 500 students from the academic year 2027-28.

For details, contact 63033 25356 or 89784 52495, or write to waqfeducationmission@gmail.com.