Metro India News | AMARAVATI

 State Minister for Education, IT and Electronics Nara Lokesh on Friday inaugurated a newly constructed PG Boys’ Hostel at Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Kakinada, and reiterated the government’s commitment to making Andhra Pradesh a leader in education, innovation and employment.

The hostel, named Nandanam, was built at a cost of ₹10 crore under RUSA and university funds. Spread over 53,606 sq. ft., the G+2 structure adds to recent campus upgrades, including cement concrete roads and drainage works costing ₹21 crore, fully funded by the university. The minister unveiled foundation plaques and inspected the facilities.

Lokesh also visited an Innovation Fair organised by JNTU and its affiliated colleges, where 20 student-led stalls showcased solutions such as banana fibre-based food products, a mobile banana extractor and an intelligent energy management system.

Interacting with students under the Hello Lokesh programme, he said education must go beyond degrees to focus on skills, innovation and real-world problem-solving. He said insights from his padayatra are shaping youth-centric policies and announced regular student interactions to improve curricula.

Highlighting employment, Lokesh said over four lakh jobs have been created since the coalition government took office, with nearly 80% benefiting local youth. He stressed decentralised industrial development and focus on emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, green hydrogen and renewables.

On higher education reforms, he said faculty recruitment and industry partnerships are priorities, adding that a job calendar will soon be released to fill nearly 4,000 vacant professor posts.