Kalvakuntla Kavitha: Leading to Excel

Hyderabad: A prolific leader, Kalvakuntla Kavitha, the founder & president of Telangana Jagruthi, and the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Her personality commands followers, and over time she has been building the right teams to create a difference in society. After her bachelor's degree in Engineering from VNR Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology, she left for the USA to pursue Masters in Computer Sciences in the University of Southern Mississippi, after which she worked as a software engineer.

After completing her education, she returned to India in 2004 to play an active role in the Telangana statehood movement and contributed immensely to the same by founding an NGO by the name of "Telangana Jagruthi" to unite people of Telangana origin around the world. This was a turning point in her career and in the history of the Telangana state. In 2014, Telangana was carved out of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh state and her father led the movement for statehood. In 2014, elections held to the state Assembly and Lok Sabha, her father's party swept both and he became the first Chief Minister of newly born state.

This momentous change made Kavitha stay back in India to help her father in various ways. Currently, a Member of the Legislative Council of Telangana winning the local bodies constituency after securing a record victory of 89% of the total votes polled. She has earlier served as a Member of the Indian Parliament representing the Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency. During her tenure, she served as a member of various standing committees of different ministries. Also, she was nominated to the Steering Committee of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) India Region, which works for increasing the number of women representatives in Parliament. She has been part of many international delegations to various countries as well as with organisations such as the United Nations and the World Bank.

Initially, the organization played a key role in the revival of Bathukamma festival - unique to the culture of Telangana with a universal message of environmental protection and women's rights. This festival was symbolized as a form of protest which promoted equity and justice for the people of Telangana. In contemporary times, this festival is celebrated in many parts of the world including Australia, the United Kingdom, the USA, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, with much pomp and grandeur.

Given her blossoming prominence and image in society, she is fondly referred to as Kavithamma.

Kavitha's trials and zeal to inculcate a sense of patriotism among the youth have helped her bring to life associations and organizations. She has been elected the first state chief commissioner of Telangana chapter of Bharat Scouts and Guides (BS & G) Association. With her appointment, she became the youngest person to hold this position in India.

She is a voracious reader and a prolific writer. She frequently contributes articles in leading national and international journals, in areas of public policy, youth, culture, public health, national security, technology, and development.