VISAKHAPATNAM: The State government is bringing in a special ‘She Play’ policy to encourage greater participation of women in sports and provide more opportunities for girls at the school level, Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh announced on Saturday.
Lokesh pointed to barriers such as lack of parental support and inadequate sports facilities that continue to limit girls’ participation in sports. “The government would focus on improving sports infrastructure in schools and creating more opportunities for girls to take up different disciplines,” he remarked during an interaction with students after inaugurating the modernised Zilla Parishad High School at Chandrampalem in Visakhapatnam. The school has been upgraded under ‘Project Chandra’ with the support of Divi’s Laboratories. Lokesh inspected the renovated classrooms, sports facilities and other infrastructure and also played volleyball with students.
Referring to the school’s sporting achievements, he noted that two students from Chandrampalem school were already performing at the State level in basketball. Citing Telugu cricketer Sricharani as an example, he observed that providing the right opportunity could help girls succeed in sports. “Her parents had initially opposed her taking up cricket but eventually supported her after she insisted on being allowed to play,” he recalled.
During the interaction, Lokesh outlined the government’s broader objective of developing government schools on par with corporate schools. Recalling his earlier visits to Chandrampalem, he noted that the school premises used to become muddy during rains, while the modernisation had transformed its infrastructure.
Lokesh also called upon educated and thoughtful young people to enter politics if they wanted to bring about social change. Politics, he observed, was not limited to elections and positions but influenced people’s lives and the future of society.
He advised students to remain informed about contemporary issues, global developments, technological changes, national development and general knowledge, alongside their studies. Asked about his entry into politics, Lokesh recalled an incident in 2005 when he accompanied his father, CM N Chandrababu Naidu, to a wedding. “Seeing thousands of people stand up to greet Naidu made me realise the respect a public figure could earn,” he recalled.
