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{{Short description|Social activist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Raghavendar Askani
| office = [[Youth Parliament Program|President of Youth Parliament Program]]
| image = Raghavendar Askani.jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Raghavendar addressing at the 2020 Youth Parliament, Leadership Boot Camp
| predecessor = ''Position established''
| term_start = 2 October 2016
| office1 = Director of Swatantrata Center for Human Flourishing Foundation
| term_start1 = 24 July 2019
| birth_place = [[Wanaparthy]], [[India]]
| occupation = [[Activism|Social activist]], [[Social Entrepreneur]]
| profession = [[Reformism|Political reformer]], [[Reformism|Economic reformer]]
| website =
| known_for = [[Youth Parliament Program]], [[Activism|Liberal Activist]], [[Activism|Civil and political rights]]
}}

'''Raghavendar Askani''' is an Indian [[Classical liberalism|classical liberal]], [[social activist]]. He is the founder and president of the [[Youth Parliament Program]] and co-founder and director of the Swatantrata Center, an Indian liberal public policy think tank. He has also written columns in Indian newspapers, such as [[ThePrint|The Print]], [[Telangana Today]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 January 2022 |title=Ernest interviews Venkatesh Geriti, Raghavendar Askani, and Glenn Cripe |url=https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Media/318499-2022-01-11-2022-01-11-ernest-interviews-venkatesh-geriti-raghavendar-askani-and.htm |website=Freedoms Phoenix}}</ref><ref name="libel.iflry.com">{{cite web |date=16 October 2020 |title=International Federation of Liberal Youth Interview with Swatantrata Center |url=https://libel.iflry.com/interview-with-venkatesh-geriti-from-swatantrata-center-in-india/ |website=International Federation of Liberal Youth}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Youth Parliament |url=https://navodaya.gov.in/nvs/nvs-school/SOUTH-SIKKIM/en/activities/Youth-Parliament/ |website=Navodaya Governamnet of India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=20 December 2021 |title=Opinion: Worrisome slip in economic freedom |url=https://telanganatoday.com/opinion-worrisome-slip-in-economic-freedom |website=Telangana Today}}</ref>

== Early life and activism ==
Askani is from [[Wanaparthy]], [[Telangana]]. As a student leader, he was drawn to public service and civic activity at a young age, and he became the National Coordinator of Youth for Better India. Raghavendar played a crucial role in the [[2011 Indian anti-corruption movement]] campaign, particularly in the Telugu states, where he advocated for the strong [[Lokpal bill|Lokpal Bill.]]<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=A Social Entrepreneur and a reformer sets his mission to empower youth for a better India. |url=https://bookofachievers.com/articles/liberal-reformer-and-an-anti-corruption-activist-empowering-youth-for-a-better-india |website=Bookof Achievers}}</ref>

Raghavendar worked to educate people about who [[S. R. Sankaran|S.R. Sankaran]] was, not just as a [[bureaucrat]], but as someone who used his position to push for those the system had long ignored, including his quiet but firm backing of the Safai Karmachari Andolan and its fight to end [[manual scavenging]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=S |first=Lekshmi Priya |title=This 'People's Officer' Is the Only IAS To Be Honored With a Statue. |url=https://thebetterindia.com/165915/ias-hero-sr-sankaran-andhra-pradesh-india-news/ |access-date=2026-04-19 |website=thebetterindia.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan is visiting the statue of S. R. Sankaran at Wanaparthy |url=https://loksatta.org/dr-jp-visiting-kunool-wanaparthy |access-date=2026-04-19 |website=loksatta.org}}</ref>

He is an Indian [[anti-corruption]] and [[Right to Information Act, 2005|Right to Information Act]] advocate who exposed corruption in many colleges in the [[Mahabubnagar district|Mahabubnagar District]] fee reimbursement and scholarship program, resulting in the misappropriation of funds intended for low-income students. Through the [[Right to Information Act, 2005|Right to Information Act]], the advocacy secured fee reimbursements for thousands of students across colleges, preventing financial barriers to their education and saving over one billion rupees<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 Apr 2017 |title=Meet The Young Activist From Mahabubnagar Who Is Laying The Foundation For A Better Future Society! |url=https://www.chaibisket.com/blogs/blog/young-activist-from-mahabubnagar |website=Chai Bisket}}</ref>

He was honored with the International Confederation of Non-Governmental Organizations, and the [[United Nations]] presented the [[Karmaveer Chakra Award]] and Global Fellowship Award in 2021 for his impactful contributions to [[social reform]] and [[youth empowerment]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=28 Apr 2021 |title=Young reformist awarded with 'Karmaveer Chakra |url=https://www.thehansindia.com/life-style/young-reformist-awarded-with-karmaveer-chakra-683920 |work=The Hans India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=29 Apr 2021 |title=Telugu Activist bags Karmaveer Chakra Award |url=https://www.pressreader.com/india/deccan-chronicle/20210429/281655372928754 |website=Pressreader Deccan Chronicle}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=9 April 2021 |title=రాఘవేందర్‌కు కర్మవీర్‌ చక్ర అవార్డు |url=https://www.andhrajyothy.com/2021/telangana/karmaveer-chakra-award-338166.html |website=Andhra Jyothy |language=telugu}}</ref>

Raghavendar translated [[Leonard E. Read|Leonard E. Read's]] 1958 essay [[I, Pencil]], the foundational work of the [[Foundation for Economic Education]], into Telugu. This marked the first Indian-language translation of the essay, intending to promote liberal ideas in India. In introducing the translation, [[Economist|American Economist]] [[Lawrence Reed]] lauded [[Gunnam Gangaraju|Gangaraju Gunnam's]] Vihangam as an Indian parallel to [[Ayn Rand|Ayn Rand's]] [[Atlas Shrugged]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Telugu Translation of “I, Pencil” launched in Atlanta |url=https://epaper.thehansindia.com/Home/ShareArticle?OrgId=136586624ce&imageview=0 |access-date=2026-04-27 |website=epaper.thehansindia.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-11 |title=Leonard Read's classic now in the Telugu Language! |url=https://www.lawrencewreed.com/blog/wwwlawrencewreedcom/telugu |access-date=2026-04-27 |website=Lawrence W. Reed |language=en-US}}</ref>
[[File:Raghavendar Askani with Nobel laureate Vernon L. Smith, American economist, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2016.jpg|thumb|[[Raghavendar Askani]] with [[Nobel laureate]] [[economist]] [[Vernon L. Smith]], in [[Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids]], [[Michigan]], 2016.]]

=== Youth Parliament Program ===
In 2016, Askani founded the [[Youth Parliament Program]], aimed at fostering civic engagement and leadership among the youth. The program provides a platform for discussing pressing societal issues and developing innovative solutions and young people to learn about parliamentary procedures, debate policy issues, and develop leadership skills.<ref>{{Cite news |date= |title=A forum for youth to speak up |url=https://pynr.in/article/a-forum-for-youth-to-speak-up |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818015057/https://pynr.in/article/a-forum-for-youth-to-speak-up |archive-date=18 Aug 2022 |work=Daily Pioneer}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=21 Oct 2016 |title=Youth Parliament-2016 meet at KU on Oct 23 |url=https://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Telangana/2016-10-21/Youth-Parliament-2016-meet-at-KU-on-Oct-23/260141 |work=The Hans India}}</ref>

* The program has received accolades for its focus on education and youth participation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mock parliament urges govt. to strengthen education system |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/Mock-parliament-urges-govt.-to-strengthen-education-system/article16080134.ece |access-date=2016-12-02 |website=The Hindu|date=23 October 2016 }}</ref>
* empowering young minds by organizing Model Youth Parliament sessions, Leadership Bootcamp<ref>{{Cite news |date= |title=యువత నవభారత నిర్మత |url=https://www.eenadu.net/nationalinternational/mainnews/general/19/220032107 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703040941/https://www.eenadu.net/nationalinternational/mainnews/general/19/220032107 |archive-date=3 July 2020 |access-date= |work=Eenadu |language=Telugu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=25 Feb 2020 |title=3-day boot camp completed |url=https://www.thehansindia.com/hans/young-hans/3-day-boot-camp-completed-607504 |work=The Hans India}}</ref>

=== Swatantrata Center ===
In 2019, Askani co-founded the Swatantrata Center, focusing on policy advocacy and economic reforms. The organization emphasizes empowering youth through workshops, conferences, and public discussions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 November 2021 |title=Civil Liberties Dialogue with Sagarika Ghose |url=https://sagarikaghose.in/videos/civil-liberties-dialogue-with-sagarika-ghose/ |website=Sagarika Ghose}}</ref>

* Campaigning for 24/7 open business operations in Hyderabad for economic development and creating more employment opportunities.<ref name="Hindu">{{cite web |date=16 July 2024 |title=Swatantrata Urges Telangana Govt for 24x7 Business Ops in Hyderabad Telangana |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/southern-states/telangana/swatantrata-urges-telangana-govt-for-24x7-business-ops-in-hyderabad-1810586 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en-IN}}</ref>
* Advocating for a Model Code of Conduct against police violence, He sent in letters to all Supreme Court and High Court justices in India.<ref>{{cite web |date=4 Sep 2021 |title=పోలీసుల కౄరత్వంపై 'సుప్రీం' నియమావళి ఏర్పర్చాలి |url=https://nijamtoday.com/2021/09/04/sc-code-of-conduct-on-police-brutalitys-sought/ |website=Nijam Today}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Youth Parliament Program]]
* [[Students for Liberty]]
* [[Youth council]]
* [[Liberalism in India]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.yppindia.in/ website of the Youth Parliament Program]
* [https://www.youthforbetterindia.com/ website of the Youth for better india]
* [https://swatantrata.org/ Official website of the Swatantra Center]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Askani, Raghavendar}}
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian anti-corruption activists]]
[[Category:People from Telangana]]
[[Category:People from Wanaparthy district]]

Raghavendar Askani - Revision history

PhilSalisbury74: made new data