AP govt plans university in every district: Lokesh

By DASI PURNA KARTHIK

On 05 Mar 2025 17:04:23

AP govt plans university in every district: Lokesh

• Rs 9,407 cr allocated for Thalliki Vandanam scheme

The Andhra Pradesh government is working towards establishing at least one university in each district, either in the government or private sector, said Minister for IT and HRD Nara Lokesh in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. He emphasized Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s vision to restore the past glory of government universities and revealed that the State aims to place an AP university in the world’s top-100 rankings within five years.

Additionally, efforts are underway to improve the NIRF ranking of state universities from 9th to 3rd place. During the session, Pileru MLA Nallari Kishore Kumar Reddy urged the government to upgrade Kalikiri Engineering College into a university, citing its Rs 650 crore infrastructure along Highway No. 75.

He noted that previous governments concentrated university development in Tirupati and Kuppam, leaving other regions behind. Similarly, Kovur MLA Prashanthi Reddy urged the establishment of a government engineering college and pharmacy college in Nellore district, along with a women’s degree college offering arts courses.

She also highlighted a shortage of 130 teaching and non-teaching staff at Vikramasimhapuri University, urging the government to address water supply issues and set up a health center on campus. Responding to these demands, Minister Lokesh assured that the government is reviewing university status for Kalikiri Engineering College and will make a decision after further discussions.

He stressed the need for structured discussions on college affiliations and announced major reforms in higher education, including a comprehensive review of the Commissionerate, Higher Education Council, and curriculum. Lokesh also acknowledged declining admissions in government and private degree colleges, especially in arts courses, and promised measures to strengthen industry connectivity in various disciplines beyond computer science and electronics.

Highlighting severe faculty shortages, he revealed that only 1,048 faculty members currently serve across State universities, leaving 3,282 vacancies unfilled out of the required 4,330 positions. He assured that legal hurdles in recruitment will be addressed, and vacant positions will be filled once the one-man committee submits its report.

Minister Lokesh also announced the Thalliki Vandanam scheme, a key welfare initiative that will be rolled out in May 2024. Responding to YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) members’ queries, he confirmed that the government has allocated Rs 9,407 crore for the scheme, which is 50 percent higher than the Rs 5,540 crore allocated by the previous government. The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to families with school-going children. Lokesh reiterated that the scheme is part of the Super-6 program, which was introduced before the elections to align with public aspirations.