Andhra Pradesh cultural committee chair urges youth to cut social media, read more

Published - July 29, 2026 09:15 pm IST | VIJAYAWADA

By The Hindu Bureau

The Andhra Pradesh State Creative and Cultural Committee Chairperson P. Tejaswi on Wednesday urged young people to prioritise reading over social media, emphasising the transformative power of literature.

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 at P.B. Siddhartha Arts and Science College, Ms. Tejaswi described books as “a wonderful technology comparable to a time machine.”

She highlighted the reading habits of prominent global figures to underscore her point:

• Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates reads about 50 books a year.
• Entrepreneur Elon Musk’s habit of reading for nearly 10 hours a day helped him excel in technology.

Ms. Tejaswi called on young people to reduce their dependence on social media and devote more time to reading and developing new ideas. Rather than aspiring to migrate abroad in search of opportunities, she said, India should strive to become a country that attracts talent from across the world.

She also noted that 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.