VENKATACHALAM, Nellore, Sept. 7, 2026: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday praised the Swarna Bharat Trust for its 25 years of work in education, healthcare and skill development, saying that providing poor children with education and essential facilities was among the highest forms of social service.
Addressing the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Swarna Bharat Trust at Venkatachalam in SPSR Nellore district, Yogi said imparting skills to young people and creating employment opportunities could make a lasting difference to rural communities. He opened his address by greeting the gathering in Telugu with “Andariki Vandanam”, drawing an enthusiastic response from the audience.
Yogi highlighted initiatives in Uttar Pradesh aimed at children who lost their parents during the Covid-19 pandemic. He said such children were being provided free education at Atal Awasiya Vidyalayas in the state.
He also credited former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu with inspiring efforts to improve infrastructure in Gurukul schools. Yogi stressed that nations capable of effectively using technology would advance rapidly, but said young people should remain committed to the country regardless of how high they rise professionally.
He urged the younger generation to carry a “Nation First” outlook wherever they work and live.
Education as a tool for nation-building
Yogi said educating children from economically weaker sections was not merely an investment in their individual futures but also a contribution to nation-building. He called for rural areas to emerge as centres of knowledge and economic activity.
Recalling the self-sufficient nature of villages in earlier times, he said strengthening the rural economy remained essential. Rural producers, he added, should be helped to access global markets and expand the reach of their products.
The Chief Minister commended the Swarna Bharat Trust for sustaining its service activities for a quarter of a century. He particularly appreciated its focus on education and vocational training for rural youth and women.
Yogi also described Venkaiah Naidu as a bridge between northern and southern India.
‘Swarna Bharat Trust is my brainchild’
Venkaiah Naidu said the Swarna Bharat Trust was his “brainchild” and announced that the assets held in his name would belong to the trust.
He appealed to people to devote a portion of their lives to serving society. Referring to Uttar Pradesh's development trajectory, he said the state had once been considered one of the country's more backward regions but was now moving towards becoming an “Uttam Pradesh” under Yogi Adityanath's leadership.
Managing trustee Deepa Venkat said the trust had continued to work to improve the lives of rural youth, women and economically disadvantaged people through skill development, free education and healthcare. She said efforts were under way to expand the trust's service activities.
Yogi visits training centre
Before the silver jubilee celebrations, Yogi received a formal welcome from trust representatives and leaders at the helipad at Akshara Vidyalaya. He later visited the Soma Technical Training Centre and interacted with young people undergoing training in various courses.
He enquired about their training programmes and employment prospects and sought details from the organisers about the technical and vocational courses being offered by the trust. He also watched a skating demonstration by students and inspected the educational facilities and infrastructure at Akshara Vidyalaya.
Former Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, Ministers Narayana and Satya Kumar, BJP state president PVN Madhav and others attended the programme.
Trust began its journey in 2001
The Swarna Bharat Trust was established in 2001, inspired by Venkaiah Naidu's vision of rural empowerment, development and service. Eight of his friends joined hands to establish the organisation with the objective of serving the country.
The trust began its activities at Venkatachalam in Nellore district and subsequently expanded to Atkuru near Vijayawada and Muchintal in Hyderabad. Its programmes cover education, vocational training, healthcare and livelihood support.
The organisation says it operates independently of political considerations and does not depend on government funding or assistance, instead relying on support from like-minded individuals and organisations.
Over its 25-year journey, the trust has provided services to large numbers of economically disadvantaged people, women, farmers and rural youth across the two Telugu states and other parts of the country. Its ongoing programmes include skill training for students and youth, self-employment training for rural women, and free education and healthcare for the poor.
Kaikaluru MLA Kamineni Srinivas is currently serving as chairman of the trust.
