Who is Gurajada Apparao, The Poet Nirmala Sitharaman Quoted In Budget Speech

Telugu poet, playwright and author Gurajada Venkata Apparao was invoked in parliament today -- probably a first -- as Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman used his immortal words to underscore that "a country is not just its soil, a country is its people" (Desamante matti kaadoyi, Desamante manushuloyi). 

Presenting the Union budget 2025 -- which was also her eighth -- the minister added: "In line with this, for us, Viksit Bharat encompasses zero poverty, 100 per cent quality, good school education, access to high-quality affordable and comprehensive healthcare, 100 per cent skilled labour with meaningful employment, 70 per cent women in economic activities and farmers making our country the food basket of the world".

Gurajada Apparao (1861-1915) is known for his plays in Telugu, notably, Kanyasulkam and Desamunu Preminchumanna.

Born in what is present day Elamanchili in Andhra Pradesh, he pursued higher education in Vijayanagaram and served as a lecturer at his alma mater -- Maharaja College.

Alongside working on various literary genres including dramas, short stories and poetry, he also began researching the history of the land of Telugu speakers and Kalinga (Odisha) and had planned to write their history. He died in 1915.

Ms Sitharaman's eighth budget had schemes for the MSME sector, women, farmers, the education sector and a big relief for the middle class in the form of income tax rebates which turned out to the biggest talking point.