Why Andhra Students Should Thank Lokesh for These Reforms

IT minister Nara Lokesh has proved to be a true public leader in Andhra Pradesh. By bringing bold reforms in the education sector like honouring outstanding 10th-grade students and extending the midday meals to the government junior colleges, he has shown his dedication to elevate government education in the state.

At a Conclave organised by a prominent media house, when asked about Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s remarks that India needs skill census and not caste census, HRD minister Lokesh said the Andhra Pradesh government was moving in that direction. The AP government introduced Naipunyam portal, which will allow students to be tested in specific traits and ranked on a framework set by the employers. “We are trying to integrate our youngsters to the market. It is a transparent mechanism where supply and demand is matched, basing on the skills,” he said.

Further, he claimed that the portal had already been used for nursing students. “Nearly 18 kids are going to Germany as healthcare professionals. Soon we can send close to 50,000 of them.”

He also highlighted that all the students chosen for Germany were from rural areas, they belong to various castes.

Lokesh also said that the textbooks of the primary school students have been completely revised, to preach gender equality. Usually, these textbooks have pictures of women doing all the household chores but now, we changed the photos. “I and Brahmani, when we were in the US, used to share work 50-50. Now, the photos in textbooks also show the sharing of household chores between men and women.”

Even the pictures of sportspersons, show men in the textbooks. We made it 50-50 now so that girls also can aspire to be sportspersons, he said.

Lokesh’s remarks reveal that the TDP government is trying to bring about a change from the basic level, to integrate the mind and soul.