Hyderabad: The Pratibha Puraskar (Excellence Awards) Ceremony was held on Thursday, May 14, to honour the top-scoring students from Gurukuls and Welfare Hospitals. The event took place at the Komaram Bheem Bhavan in Banjara Hills, organised by the Backward Class Welfare Department.
Telangana Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and Youth Affairs Minister Vakiti Srihari attended as Chief Guests.
Srihari, who also heads the Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries, and Sports, highlighted the importance of education with a Telugu saying – “Vidya dadati vinayam, vinayadyati patratam,” which translates to “education bestows humility, and humility elevates a person to greatness.”
The minister urged the students to become an “integral part” in the Rising Telangana movement, calling for their proactive participation.
Quoting Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, he said both prominent figures asserted that education plays a key role in liberating individuals from the shackles of slavery. “Education is not the exclusive property of any single individual or group,” Srihari said.
He reminded students that Goddess Saraswati never discriminated based on a person’s colour or physical appearance, adding that it is a student’s concentration and focus that can propel them forward.
“Since we are providing every necessary amenity and facility within the Gurukulas, students must strive to achieve a 100 per cent pass rate,” he said. “Backward Classes must take the lead in every sector and field of endeavour.”
He informed that the government has transferred and promoted 25,000 teachers to help reduce the burden in the education department.
He encouraged the young students to engage in politics in the future and aspire to be elected to the Assembly and Parliament in order to make substantial change by enforcing laws. “The laws formulated by political leaders shape the future of the nation,” Srihari said. “Only those who actively create opportunities for themselves will prove to be truly capable.”
He praised Chief Minister Revanth Reddy‘s “efforts to achieve revolutionary changes in the education sector. Students must recognise and make the most of the opportunities provided by the government, he said.
