Prioritise reading over social media, A.P. Creative and Cultural Committee chief tells youth

Literature has the power to influence generations, and the written word plays a vital role in building a better society, said P. Tejaswi, Chairperson of the Andhra Pradesh State Creative and Cultural Committee.She was speaking after unveiling Nachchite Malli Kalustanu (If You Like It, We’ll Meet Again), a collection of short stories by R.

Sravanthi, a B.Sc. student of P.

B. Siddhartha Arts and Science College, on Wednesday.Describing books as “a wonderful technology comparable to a time machine”, Ms.

Tejaswi underscored the importance of reading. She noted that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates reads about 50 books a year, while entrepreneur Elon Musk’s habit of reading for nearly 10 hours a day had helped him excel in technology.Urging young people to reduce their dependence on social media, she called on them to devote more time to reading and developing new ideas.

Rather than aspiring to migrate abroad in search of opportunities, India should strive to become a country that attracts talent from across the world, she said.Ms. Tejaswi said the State government had introduced reforms to give greater recognition to young achievers through the Ugadi Awards.

Nimmagadda Lalitha Prasad, Convener of the committee, received the first copy of the book, congratulated the student author and presented her with a cash award of ₹10,000.B.Sc.

Chemistry student Bhuvanasri reviewed the collection. College Principal Meka Ramesh, Dean Rajesh C. Jampala, Librarian Vanisri and the author also addressed the gathering.

Published - July 29, 2026 09:15 pm IST Read Comments Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit READ LATER SEE ALL Remove