States » SouthPosted at: Sep 20 2026 6:41PM


kakinada: Education with moral values is nation’s pride: Minister Nara Lokesh

Kakinada, Sept 20 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Sunday called for integrating moral values with education to restore the country’s past glory and enhance India’s global standing.
Addressing the `Bharatiyam’ patriotic programme organised by spiritual preacher and government adviser Chaganti Koteswara Rao at the Akundi Lakshmi Memorial Gosala premises in Thimmapuram on the outskirts of Kakinada, Lokesh said education should remain free from political influence and focus on building responsible citizens.
He said the government had for the first time publicised the names and photographs of students who secured top ranks in government schools through newspapers and television channels, which he said had contributed to renewed confidence in government education.
Around 1.10 lakh students had shifted from private schools to government schools, while admissions to government junior colleges had increased by about 10,000, he said, attributing the progress to the collective efforts of students, parents and teachers.
"If moral values are added to this progress, the Andhra Pradesh model of school education can emerge as the number one in the country," Lokesh said.
He said Sanatana Dharma, humanism, family values and India's unity in diversity were among the country's strengths and recalled the contributions of ancient Indian scholars and practitioners such as Charaka in medicine, Chanakya in politics, Aryabhata in mathematics, Patanjali in yoga and Dhanvantari in Ayurveda.
Lokesh said he had taken up the Education portfolio as a challenge and introduced several reforms over the past two years, with the revival of government schools as the primary objective.
The Minister said political colours should not be introduced in schools and pointed out that he had ensured that photographs of the Chief Minister or himself were not printed on school uniforms, bags, belts or shoes, keeping in view the sensitivity of children.
He said the visions of 'Viksit Bharat' put forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 'Swarnandhra' envisaged by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu could be realised through the younger generation.
He urged students to develop love for the country on par with their love for their parents.
Earlier, Chaganti Koteswara Rao received Minister Lokesh at the venue amid Vedic chants by priests.
During the subsequent satsang, Koteswara Rao blessed the Minister and presented him books titled `Devuni Swaram', authored by the 68th head of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Mahaswami.
The Bharatiyam programme began with Pushpanjali accompanied by 108 mantras, followed by the singing of Vande Mataram and Harathi to a portrait of Bharat Mata.
Rajya Sabha member Sana Sathish, MLC Karri Padmasri and MLAs Vanamadi Kondababu and Nimmakayala Chinarajappa were among those present.
UNI KNR CDS
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