Ghanta Chakrapani: Voice of Telangana, Ethics, and Change
2 Jun 2025 1:13 PM IST2 Jun 2025 1:13 PM IST
Chakrapani began in print media, working for Udayam, Andhra Jyothi, and All India Radio.
Ghanta Chakrapani
From a humble journalist to the founding TSPSC chairman, Chakrapani’s journey blends activism, ethics, and public service. As Telangana celebrates 11 years of statehood, voices like his shape public opinion from institutions, classrooms, and cyberspace. Now Vice-Chancellor of Dr B.R. Ambedkar Open University, Prof. Chakrapani’s career reflects Telangana’s quest for dignity and justice. In a recent interview, he discussed journalism’s ethical foundations, experiential learning, and policy reform in institutional change.
From Reporter to Reformer
Chakrapani began in print media, working for Udayam, Andhra Jyothi, and All India Radio. “Journalism was a social responsibility, not a job,” he often said. His left-wing ideology and social welfare hostel background fueled his focus on inequality in reporting. Media experience across print, radio, and television showed him the limits of journalism in driving structural change. “I wanted to engage with the system beyond headlines,” he explained, leading him to academia, teaching sociology and media studies, and later public service.
A New Chapter: TSPSC Reforms
In 2014, Chakrapani became the first TSPSC Chairman, shaping Telangana’s administrative identity. His key reform was anonymising candidate details—removing names, caste, and community identifiers from recruitment assessments to reduce bias. “The system should benefit everyone, especially the marginalised. That’s Telangana’s spirit,” he said. This merit-based, transparent recruitment model strengthened public institutions statewide and beyond.
Social Movements and Cultural Assertion
A vocal activist in the Telangana statehood movement, Chakrapani also engaged in global anti-globalisation platforms, linking local struggles to universal injustices. He warns against globalisation erasing local identities, noting, “Telangana’s fight was for cultural survival—language, art, and lived experience.”
Legacy and Lifelong Learning
Through his YouTube channel ‘Ghantapatham,’ Chakrapani blends political analysis with social commentary, passionate about democratising knowledge and empowering youth. On legacy, he said, “It’s the collective footprint we leave walking with people, not ahead of them.” This humility defines his work in classrooms, newsrooms, and public arenas.
A Timely Reminder
On Telangana Formation Day, Chakrapani’s story underscores that the movement was about pride, fairness, and representation. Though street protests have faded, his quiet, transformative contributions continue to advance the debate. In an era favouring spectacle over substance, his inclusive, ethical engagement across media, academia, and politics offers a model of courageous public service.
Written by Hariom, University of Hyderabad, Intern.
(Based on an exclusive April 2025 interview with Prof. Ghanta Chakrapani for an academic feature.)
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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