The Shining Stars-2025 event was held at the minister’s residence in Undavalli, where Lokesh presented gold medals and laptops to the students.
VIJAYAWADA: Education Minister Nara Lokesh has congratulated and honoured 52 students who studied in government junior colleges and emerged as state-level toppers in marks.
The Shining Stars-2025 event was held at the minister’s residence in Undavalli, where Lokesh presented gold medals and laptops to the students.
He said, “My heartfelt greetings to the parents and students who attended this programme. I am here now to celebrate the success of the students. Poverty should not keep students away from education.”
He noted that chief minister Chandrababu Naidu had ordered that government schools and colleges be made equal in standards to private schools and colleges. “When it comes to junior colleges, the mid-day meal scheme was abolished by the YSRC government. When I spoke to a girl in Payakapuram, she said that she lost her parents and her grandmother was educating her, and that the revival of the Dokka Seethamma mid-day meal scheme has reduced her burden.”
Lokesh said, “You are all winners. You have erased the impression that those who studied in government colleges do not get good marks. Today, you are all brand ambassadors. There should be competition among students. When I was in ninth grade, I used to play and sing. I used to play cricket. After coming to tenth grade, I was bullied a lot. Then, I worked very hard for two years in intermediate. Those three years were a very crucial time. Later, I did my MBA at Stanford. I worked at the World Bank. After taking charge as a minister, we brought many reforms in inter-education.”
He said the CM gave him the education department with a target: after intermediate, students should choose the fields in which they are interested and it is not right for everyone to embrace IT. “Many students have said it would be good if uniforms are provided in Intermediate and we will take action accordingly.”
“We should keep our surroundings garbage-free. We all need to be job creators instead of job-seekers. You are all winners. Hats off to you! You all saved the honour of government education. I am very proud of you,” the minister stated.
