Telangana: 12-year-old’s answer on why he delivers newspaper goes viral; impresses minister KT Rama Rao

HYDERABAD: What is wrong if I work while studying? A 43-second clip of a 12-year-old boy, raising this question while delivering newspapers in Jagtial, has grabbed the attention of hundreds of netizens, including Telangana’s IT minister, KT Rama Rao.
The video shows Bandiwar Sri Prakash being stopped by a passer-by, while on his morning chore, to be asked why he was working and not studying at such a young age? “If I do this now, it will prove to be useful for me in the future,” comes the class 6 student’s crisp retort.
When TOI reached out to him, on Thursday, a pleasantly surprised Prakash — about his video being shared by KTR repeated the same thing. He also made it clear that being a newspaper delivery boy was a choice, not a task imposed on him due to any financial constraint. He has been doing this since November 2020. “Waking up early and cycling to deliver newspapers will help improve my immunity. I will be strong, healthy and can concentrate better,” the student of Government High School (old), Jagtial, said.
But Prakash has his older brother, Sai Krishna, to thank for inculcating this healthy habit in him. The latter started this work four months before his brother and, on realising its benefits, decided to pull in the younger one into it as well.

I feel studies alone is not sufficient, one should even know how to work. That’s the reason I encouraged my brother to deliver paper along with me,” said Krishna, now in class 10. He went on to add how Prakash who was never an early riser and did not exercise, has become more active post taking up this job.
“It is a good mode of physical and mental exercise. By delivering the newspaper, he is also learning math and physics as he needs to know how much strength to use and at what angle to throw the newspaper to reach a certain height,” Krishna explained.

Loved this video from Jagtial Town..This young lad a Govt school student called Jai Prakash; loved his confidence, composure, and clarity of thought & expression...He says what’s wrong in working while studying & goes on to say it’ll keep him in good stead in future,” tweeted minister KT Rama Rao.

Mother of the boys, Anusha, is just happy that the two are learning to be confident and self-reliant. She also told TOI how the younger one has been stopped and videographed many times in the past by curious passers-by.