Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Nara Lokesh engaged with students in a candid question-answer session during the “Shining Stars” felicitation program. Students showered him with questions ranging from his childhood memories to his motivation for entering politics.
Classroom Memories
When asked about his seating preference in school, Lokesh humorously revealed, “I was a back-bencher, absolutely last row – not even second from last, but the absolute last. A rowdy back-bencher!”
Students were curious about his strictest teacher, to which he admitted, “Manjula ma’am, who taught Mathematics, was the toughest teacher on me.” He added that she might still scold him if she heard him talking about her.
School Life and Academic Challenges
Reflecting on what he missed most about school days, Nara Lokesh said, “The carefree life. There were no complications – I just studied and played cricket. Those were my only two concerns.”
When asked whether facing exams or the Assembly was more difficult, Lokesh responded, “Both are equally challenging, but definitely board exams were a trial by fire. Our entire life seemed to depend on those results. My mother was more worried than me about whether I would pass or fail. Thankfully, I did reasonably well.”
He admitted to being very nervous during his 10th-grade exams, though he was “even more nervous when waiting for the results.” Mathematics was his favourite subject in school.
Motivation for a Political Career
Answering about his motivation to enter politics, Lokesh shared a pivotal moment from 2005: “After Chandrababu Naidu lost the 2004 elections, I attended a wedding in Hyderabad with him. Despite being the former Chief Minister and now Opposition Leader, nearly 5,000 people stood up out of respect when he arrived.”
“That day, I realised that no other profession commands such respect. If you do good work in politics, nothing can match it. I made my decision then and even wrote clearly in my Stanford application essay that I would enter politics.”
Support for Government School Excellence
During the event, Lokesh praised the students who excelled in government schools, calling them “brand ambassadors of Andhra Pradesh’s education system.” He mentioned that the educational reforms being implemented in AP are being discussed at the national level.
Nara Lokesh patiently answered all questions, connecting with students through his candid responses about his educational journey and career choices.
