Learn to face challenges and failures with grit, Lokesh tells students

HRD Minister Nara Lokesh has exhorted students not to get demoralised by failures and resort to the extreme step.

“The word ‘FAIL’ means ‘First Attempt In Learning’, and hard work will lead to success,” Mr. Lokesh said after inaugurating the Sri Krishnadevaraya Sainik School at Sindhanuru in Raichur, Karnataka, on Saturday. Union Minister for Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy and Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth were present.

Starting his speech in Kannada, Mr. Lokesh said students were getting depressed and ending their life if they fail even in a single exam. He advised students not to get demoralised if they get fewer marks or face hurdles in life. “You should work hard and succeed,” he said.

“People think I was born with a golden spoon being the grandson of actor and former Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao, son of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, and son-in-law of actor and MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna. But success did not come to me easily,” Mr. Lokesh said.

“In 2019, I had unsuccessfully contested the Mangalagiri Assembly seat, which had not been won by the party since 1985. I strove for five years and won by more than 91,000 votes, which was the third highest majority in the 2024 elections,” the Minister said.

Mr. Lokesh further said that the Andhra Pradesh government was imparting value-based education and had engaged the services of religious scholar Chaganti Koteswara Rao as an adviser for chalking out value-based syllabus.

Students should be taught how to respect women from childhood, he said. Highlighting the services of soldiers in protecting the country and commending the sacrifice of Murali Naik, a soldier from Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Lokesh said the government stood by the family of the brave soldier after his martyrdom.

During his visit, Mr. Lokesh also unveiled the statue of N.T. Rama Rao. Speaking on the occasion, he said the Telugu people settled in Karnataka stood in support of Mr. Naidu when he was arrested by the previous government.

“In Sindhanuru, 10,000 people took out a rally, while protests were staged in Raichur and Gangavathi against the arrest of Mr. Naidu. They might be just rallies for you, but such support boosted the morale of our family in difficult times,” Mr. Lokesh said.

Recalling his family’s association with H.D. Deve Gowda’s family, Mr. Lokesh said that Mr. Kumaraswamy stood by his assurance that the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) would not be privatised. Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat was present.