Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday directed officials to launch a state-wide awareness campaign to educate farmers about the likely impact of the El Niño phenomenon and encourage them to adopt suitable crop management strategies.

Reviewing the performance of various departments from the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) Centre at the State Secretariat near here, the Chief Minister said weather forecasts indicate that the impact of El Niño is expected to remain significant throughout the year. In addition to the measures already initiated, he stressed the need to create greater awareness among farmers about the possible consequences of changing climatic conditions.

Mr. Naidu instructed officials to explain the effects of El Niño to farmers and encourage them to switch to alternative crops wherever necessary. He said awareness programmes should be conducted in a campaign mode across the State, ensuring that farmers receive scientific guidance on the crops best suited to different regions. He also directed officials to implement the crop insurance action plan effectively to safeguard farmers against weather-related risks.

The Chief Minister also underlined the need for government employees to align their functioning with the expectations of the people.

Referring to his recent visit to Alur Assembly constituency, Mr. Naidu said the public feedback received at the grassroots level after he read out the performance assessment of government employees highlighted the need to further improve service delivery, particularly in remote areas where gaps in government services still exist.

The Chief Minister also discussed the recent suicide of Shivani, a meritorious student from Rampachodavaram, describing the incident as deeply distressing. He said the tragedy underscored the importance of addressing students' mental health.

Psychometric assessments

Stating that steps were being taken in that direction, officials informed the Chief Minister that the Education Department had already initiated measures to conduct psychometric assessments to evaluate the mental well-being of students.

Mr. Naidu instructed the department to engage mental health experts for proper assessment and counselling, besides providing teachers with the necessary training to identify and support students facing emotional or psychological challenges.

The review meeting was attended by Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy, Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad, Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta and senior officials from various departments.

Published - July 27, 2026 07:21 pm IST