“I got a call that said, “Congratulations Sivarama Skanda, you are going to New Delhi and you will be representing your state.” It all started when I received a message from my college group about the National Youth Parliament. Debating and attending Model United Nations (MUN) was something I always had my heart in. Honestly, I wasn’t keen on applying for the summit. But five hours before the deadline, I gave it a shot.

I passed the district and state level elocution with the chosen topics on National Education Policy and climate change. Thereafter, I got selected for the nationals. Having received that call from the District Youth Officer of Hyderabad, it was an evening filled with joy. Delhi was at its peak in winter, and I had to base up myself with all the thermals.

Fast forward to when we landed in the capital and got checked in to one of the five-star hotels. It was ninety of us who got selected for the summit. I met people from all around the country. Now I can say I have friends and contacts from all over the nation.

11th of January 2021, we were walking through the Parliament gates at six in the morning. The whole feeling of it was electrifying. I was awestruck by what I was experiencing at that moment. We were told that ours is the first batch to step into the Parliament Hall.

Every batch before us had a venue close to the Parliament, but not the Parliament. Walking through the hallway with the long walls covered with photos of great leaders. Singing the national anthem while standing in the place of MP’s and former MP’s was a feeling that could never be expressed in words.

The next day we had an award ceremony and I was awarded as the Youngest Member to enter the Parliament of India and also the Youngest to represent the state of Telangana at the capital.

It was a five-day experience for me and is certainly a once in a lifetime opportunity.”