Andhra govt to promote private universities: Minister Nara Lokesh tells assembly

Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh on Wednesday informed the Assembly that the TDP-led government will promote private universities in the state.

The IT Minister introduced Private Universities and Regulation Second Amendment Bill-2025 and it was approved by the assembly.

“We are aiming to encourage private universities,” said Lokesh, addressing the Assembly, who also handles the education portfolio.

He alleged that academic standards in government schools had declined during the previous YSRCP government between 2019 and 2024, due to ‘imprudent decisions’.

“When compared to the academic standards from 2014 to 2024, during the YSRCP rule class 5 students struggled to even read the second grade Telugu books,” he said.

Citing the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), he said while 57 per cent of the students could easily read books in 2014, the percentage had fallen to 37.5 during the YSRCP rule.

Declaring that 10 to 15 reforms will be introduced in the education sector by the TDP-led government to enhance the educational standards, the IT Minister made it clear that political interference would be completely eliminated in the teacher transfer process.