Saying the party is keen on providing more opportunities for young leaders
Vijayawada: Telugu Desam national working president and education minister N. Lokesh on Thursday called upon youth to enter politics, saying the party is keen on providing more opportunities for young leaders.
Interacting with “Gen Z” during the Mahanadu at the TD headquarters, Lokesh said even village unit presidents should aspire to become members of the party’s highest decision-making body, the politburo.
Recalling his “Yuvagalam” padayatra, Lokesh said youth should develop a fighting spirit and remain committed despite challenges. “I continued the march despite disruptions.” Stating that life would not always move in a straight line, Lokesh referred to his defeat in the 2019 Mangalagiri assembly election and his victory with a margin of 91,000 votes in 2024.
“Had I feared about the loss I had in the 2019 elections, I would not have entered the race in the 2024 elections. Some students are ending their lives when they fail in exams. You should know that one exam will not decide your life. I promise to extend all support to the students,” he said.
Lokesh advised youth to utilise opportunities in education and employment. The government, he said, is promoting sectors such as artificial intelligence and quantum technologies. He stressed the need for changes in academic curriculum and said reforms have been introduced in the higher education sector.
He said the government was developing a cluster-based industrial system with 22 industrial clusters identified in sectors including data, IT, quantum technology, automotive manufacturing and renewable energy.
Lokesh said ancillary industries and spare parts manufacturing units were also being encouraged to create an industrial ecosystem, while skill development programmes were being aligned to industry requirements.
He reiterated the claim that Andhra Pradesh had attracted investments worth Rs 23 lakh crore, with companies including Google, ArcelorMittal and Reliance investing in the state. He urged youth to improve their skills to secure employment opportunities.
The minister reiterated the government’s commitment to “one state, one capital” and to decentralised development.
He also called for collective efforts to secure 33 per cent reservation for women and said women’s empowerment must begin at the household level.
Lokesh cautioned people against fake content on social media platforms, particularly regarding allegations over the conduct of DSC examinations. He said the government had conducted DSC recruitment transparently within 150 days and advised youth to verify facts before believing online campaigns.
Vemuri Satwik from Guntur, Charan Yadav and Satya Sai Pawan Kumar from Vijayawada, and Khyathi Vardhini from Amaravati participated in the interaction.
