Nara Lokesh Vows to Transform Academic Sector in a year in Andhra Pradesh

Minister for Human Resource Development, Information Technology, and Electronics Nara Lokesh pledged to overhaul the academic sector in Andhra Pradesh within the next year. During a review meeting on Friday with Education Department officials, Lokesh outlined a series of initiatives to improve the standards of colleges and universities.

Lokesh scrutinized the current fee structure in private engineering colleges and the basic facilities in government degree and junior colleges. He emphasized Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's commitment to enhancing the ranking of state universities and updating curricula to align with industry needs.

Key points from the meeting include:

Addressing Lecturer Vacancies: Lokesh stressed the importance of filling lecturer vacancies transparently and resolving any legal issues that hinder this process.

Skill Enhancement: He instructed officials to provide necessary coaching within engineering colleges to better prepare students for the industry.

Commitment to Academic Standards: Officials were urged to work with dedication to elevate college academic standards.

The meeting also addressed the role of the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) in conducting tests. Lokesh requested a report on admissions in degree colleges over the past decade.

Lokesh criticized the previous government for discontinuing the direct fee reimbursement scheme and replacing it with Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Deevena. As a result, over six lakh students could not retrieve their certificates due to pending dues amounting to Rs 3,480 crore. Lokesh urged officials to resolve this issue by negotiating with educational institutions to ensure students can reclaim their certificates.

Senior officials, including Secretary of Higher Education Sourab Gour, Commissioner of Intermediate Education Pola Bhaskar, Chairman of AP State Council of Higher Education K. Rammohan Rao, and Secretary of AP Higher Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission D. Suryachandra Rao, attended the meeting.