HRD Minister Lokesh calls on Vice-President, apprises him of NDA government's achievements in Andhra Pradesh
During the meeting, Mr. Lokesh apprised Mr. Dhankhar of the coalition government's achievements in the last one year, and highlighted various development and welfare programmes being implemented in the State.
He sought Mr. Dhankhar's support in taking the State forward, while pointing out that Andhra Pradesh was poised to be the front-runner in adopting quantum technologies by developing a Quantum Valley in Amaravati.
Asked about the progress of construction of the capital Amaravati, Mr. Lokesh told the Vice- President that works costing about ₹64,000 crore were going on in different stages at a brisk pace.
On the occasion, Mr. Lokesh presented a copy of the coffee-table book on his Yuvagalam to Mr. Dhankhar.
Later, Mr. Lokesh called on Union Ministers Amit Shah (Home), Chirag Paswan (Food Processing Industries) and Dharmendra Pradhan (Education).
In his meeting with Mr. Shah, the HRD Minister highlighted the achievements of the NDA Government, and informed him about the overall situation in the State.
He mentioned that extensive arrangements were made for the International Yoga Day event in Visakhapatnam on June 21, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of other dignitaries would be taking part.
The discussion with Mr. Paswan was focused on the Central government's support for the establishment of food processing units in the State, especially in the Rayalaseema region. Mr. Lokesh explained that farmers in Rayalaseema would extensively cultivate fruits like mango, banana, tomato, sweet lime, pomegranate and dates, but struggle to fetch fair prices. Their situation would improve if the Centre takes necessary market intervention measures.
While promising to extend full support, Mr. Paswan said he would soon visit the State for inaugurating a food processing incubation centre at the IIIT, Tirupati, and would be touring Rayalaseema on July 11 and 12.
Mr. Lokesh told Mr. Pradhan that structural reforms were being implemented to achieve better outcomes, highlighting the Learning Excellence in Andhra Pradesh (LEAP) initiative, which was aimed at improving the education ecosystem. He mentioned that the schools were being given star ratings on the basis of their academic and infrastructure standards.
A new Teacher Transfer Act had been implemented for ensuring promotions and transfers with seniority and merit as the yardsticks.
New universities were being set up under the Center of Excellence initiative, he said. They were Artificial Intelligence University in Visakhapatnam, a Sports University in Amaravati, and India International University of Legal Education and Research, Mr. Lokesh added.
Mr. Lokesh was accompanied by MPs Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu, Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Kesineni Sivanath, B. Nagaraju, Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, S. Satish, and Byreddy Shabari.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
26 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Delhi Assembly Monsoon Session to run on 100% solar power in push for green energy
The Monsoon Session of the Delhi Assembly, beginning on Monday (August 4, 2025), will be powered entirely by renewable energy following the inauguration of a 500-kilowatt rooftop solar power plant by Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on Sunday (August 3, 2025). This milestone makes the Delhi Assembly the first in the country to operate solely on solar energy. Speaking at the inauguration of the solar plant and the new e-Vidhan initiative, which aims to make the Assembly paperless, Mr. Meghwal said, 'Delhi Assembly will be the first where sustainability, self-reliance, and digital empowerment go hand in hand. This fusion of climate responsibility and administrative reform must begin at the heart of democratic institutions.' Sustainable governance Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta described the initiative as a model for how legislative institutions can champion environmental stewardship. Highlighting the historic significance of the Assembly building, constructed in 1912 and once home to the country's first Parliament, Mr. Gupta said it is 'an example of how tradition and progress can go together'. He said that the rooftop solar project is expected to yield savings of up to ₹15 lakh per month, or approximately ₹1.75 crore annually, with potential surplus electricity generation through net metering. 'The financial savings generated through solar energy will be reinvested in developmental work for the welfare of Delhi's people,' the Speaker said. The Monsoon Session's opening day will also see the tabling of two reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General of India: State Finances for the year 2023-24, and Welfare of Building and Other Construction Workers for the year ending March 2023. In a key development in education policy, Minister of Education Ashish Sood is set to introduce the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, which aims to regulate fee hikes in private schools across the Capital. A trial run of the new e-Vidhan (paperless) system is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Monday, with the official sitting of the House at 2:00 p.m. to be conducted entirely on solar power, without using electricity from conventional sources.
Time of India
29 minutes ago
- Time of India
VP election: Uphill task for opposition in contest, bloc may field 'ideological' face
NEW DELHI: The opposition may field a strong "ideological" face as candidate in the vice-presidential election, as it looks to portray a strong contrast with the governing BJP's nominee to send out a political message across the country. Ahead of discussions on picking a candidate, it is felt that since winnability is an uphill task due to opposition's weaker numerical strength in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, INDIA bloc should use the vice-president (VP) contest to send out an unambiguous signal to its core constituencies of marginalised sections, including backwards and minorities, farmers, and intellectuals and the civil society. INDIA bloc is scheduled to meet Thursday (Aug 7), where Bihar assembly election is likely to be an issue as also the special intensive revision of the state's electoral rolls. The meeting, sources said, may also initiate a preliminary discussion on the likely candidate for the VP polls. Unity on consensus candidate will be challenge for the opposition camp At the meet, Rahul Gandhi may give a presentation on Congress 's "research" on voters' lists which he has said proves beyond doubt that the rolls are being tampered with to help BJP. The VP election has come prematurely after the controversial resignation by Jagdeep Dhankhar last month following an alleged confrontation with the govt over his decision to accept the notices to remove Justices Shekhar Yadav and Yashwant Varma. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If you have a mouse, play this game for 1 minute Navy Quest Undo Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge Saturday alleged that Dhankhar was biased against the opposition, but he took one independent decision and it led to his downfall, as he accused the Modi govt of pressuring constitutional authorities. The opposition has been accusing the governing BJP of attacking constitutional values, secularism, fair elections, marginalised sections, besides weakening the economy and endangering the future of the youth. Some feel that an ideal VP candidate from the opposition camp should be able to represent these issues and send out a strong message. Such a move by the opposition, insiders argue, will hammer home the ideological distinction between BJP and the opposition parties, and help rally the base as the latter looks to build upon its gains in the 2024 LS polls. However, ensuring unity with a consensus candidate will also be a challenge for the opposition camp, where many partners compete against each other and are antagonistic. In the first vice presidential election held after BJP assumed office in 2014, Congress and opposition had fielded Mahatma Gandhi's grandson and known intellectual Gopal Krishna Gandhi to take on BJP's M Venkaiah Naidu in 2017. However, when the opposition witnessed fissures in its ranks in 2022, there was a paucity of candidates and Congress was forced to field a party leader in Margaret Alva to take on BJP candidate Dhankhar.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
PM to open Metro line to IT corridor on Aug 10
Bengaluru: Missing the original deadline by two-and-a-half years, Bengaluru Metro Yellow Line — from RV Road in Jayanagar to tech hub on Hosur Road, offering a congestion-free commute for lakhs of tech workers — will be inaugurated by PM Modi on Aug 10. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Commercial operations are likely from Aug 11. Union minister of housing and urban affairs Manohar Lal Khattar announced the launch date on X. On the same day, Modi will lay the foundation for Phase III of Namma Metro project, which proposes 45km lines at a cost of Rs 15,611 crore, the post added. Though infrastructure was ready for over two years for the 19km yellow line built by BMRCL at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore, the inauguration of this stretch, having missed revised deadlines multiple times, was further delayed due to shortage of coaches. BMRCL recently set Aug 15 as the revised target to open the line with just three trainsets. After receiving safety clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety to open the new line connecting Electronics City, BMRCL approached the state govt. In 2023, ahead of the Karnataka assembly elections, Modi inaugurated the extended Purple Line from KR Pura to Whitefield. Later, three Namma Metro projects — two Purple Line stretches, the Green Line extension towards Tumakuru, and the Ragigudda–Silk Board double-decker flyover—were opened without fanfare. Although the Centre sanctioned Orange Line in 2024, the state govt's plan for a double-decker flyover delayed tendering. BMRCL is expected to float tenders by year-end. The agency is finalising the design plan, while environmental and social impact consultations are in progress, with reports likely to be published between Oct and Nov.
