Educational institutions should spread voter awareness

Hyderabad: A voter awareness programme was conducted at Vallurupalli Nageswara Rao Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology (VNRVJIET). Prof. K. Nageshwar, Ex-MLC in the erstwhile state of Andhra Pradesh, and P Madhava Reddy, the founder and proponent of Zero Budget Politics, participated in this event that was aimed at helping first-time voters among the students and all voters in general to choose the right leader for societal development.

VNR Student Force (VNRSF), a Social Responsibility Student Club of the Institute, organised this interactive session as the third event of their annual series called the "ASPIRE Talks" along with Swatantra Institute, where ASPIRE is an acronym for Awareness, Social action, Pragmatism, Insights, Responsibility, Ethics.

Speaking at the event, Politics Analyst Ex-MLC Prof K Nageshwar wished that students must grow up to be responsible citizens and pointed that educational institutions, parents, and society must also necessarily take part in this process. Indicating the sorry state of affairs where even so-called educated voters are voting based on their inclination towards caste, religion, money, or political party, Prof Nageshwar advised that a better future can be hoped for if at least the young voters must be composed enough to choose the right leaders with full awareness about all the candidates and their history.

Prof Nageshwar also observed that polling booths are the only levellers in the society where anyone must stand in the queue and added that everyone must realise that it is also a fundamental duty to vote and that they must exercise their right to vote responsibly. He insisted on the importance of leadership in order to be able to solve problems and make an impact with even the media to spread the news. Prof. Nageshwar urged the audience that disillusionment will never any problem and that vote is also a form of protest but reminded that vote is not the end of a citizen's responsibility in democracy but that it is the beginning.

P Madhava Reddy said that the current situation is that one must be filthy rich to sustain in politics and that he has founded Zero Budget Politics with the slogan "The End of Money Era Politics" so as to provide a platform to any common man who wants to change the status quo for the good. He added that no money needs to be distributed to voters illegally if the leaders are accessible to the citizens and that a lot of the politicians today are pulling down the society for their selfish reasons.

He pointed that social media can be used effectively today to reduce the expenses and urged the audience to realise that the idea of Zero Budget Politics must be spread across the world.

The ASPIRE talks session concluded with an interactive session with students enthusiastically posing questions to the speakers and getting their concerns addressed. Over 400 students participated directly and over 200 more participated through live broadcast of the event that was also attended by the Institute's Principal, Dr C D Naidu, the Deputy Dean of Administration & Finance, Dr B Narendra Kumar, the Faculty Coordinator for VNRSF, Dr K Padmaja, Balasubrahmanyam, CEO-Pranagha Brand Promotions and other faculty and staff of the Institute.