Hyderabad: India’s progress must uplift all 143 crore citizens, particularly the weaker sections, said former vice-president M. Venkaiah Naidu during a special talk at the University of Hyderabad’s (UoH) National Workshop on “Skill India for Viksit Bharat: Empowering Rural Youth for Future Opportunities”.
The two-day workshop, organised in collaboration with Unnat Bharat Abhiyan and the ministry of education, focused on equipping rural youth with skills for life, livelihood and growth.
Naidu highlighted the need for affordable and accessible innovation to address challenges such as rural-to-urban migration. “We must increase the wealth, knowledge, and happiness of our people. India is our motherland, and to serve it, we must have passion, not expectation,” he said.
Stressing collective efforts, he quoted “Vasudeva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family), calling for equitable distribution of development benefits. “Reform, perform, and transform – this is the mantra given by our Hon’ble Prime Minister,” he added, urging systemic changes to ensure justice without delay and direct delivery of government initiatives.
Day two of the workshop also featured a keynote session by Dr R. Ramesh Rengasamy, associate professor at National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad, who highlighted the role of innovation in addressing India’s challenges.
M.C.V. Prasad, renowned agriculturalist, delivered another keynote on the importance of organic farming and millets as superfoods. He emphasised the impact of soil quality on the nutritional value of food and the challenges faced by farmers in adopting organic practices.
M. Abhiram, Ipsita Behera, and Achyutha Kusuma were announced as winners for the essay competition held earlier, themed “Vision for Viksit Bharat @2047: Voice of Youth.”
Among those present were BJP MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, and Dr G. Narendra Kumar, Director General, NIRDPR. Reddy remarked on the importance of adaptability in today’s world, stating, “Knowledge is the cheapest thing today. Humans are equal and should get equal opportunities.”
Dr Kumar called his return to the campus after 41 years a nostalgic experience. He stressed the need for inclusive growth and ensuring that all sections of society benefit from development and innovation.
