Govt to strengthen varsities: CM

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced on Tuesday that the government will work to strengthen all state universities and fill vacant positions promptly, while also improving academic standards.
During a review meeting on higher education held at the State Secretariat, Naidu expressed serious concerns regarding the state of the academic sector, attributing its decline to the ineffective policies of the previous government. He stressed the importance of bringing the academic sector back on track to achieve positive outcomes and instructed officials to implement both short-term and long-term programmes aimed at bolstering public universities.
“Private universities at national and international levels should also be encouraged, as this will enhance job opportunities within the academic sector,” Naidu remarked. He directed officials to resolve any legal obstacles preventing the filling of backlog posts and to issue the necessary notifications without delay.
Currently, the state has 48 public and private universities and 2,061 colleges under their jurisdiction, catering to approximately 1.93 million students across various courses. Naidu noted that the standards of public universities have declined significantly due to multiple factors and urged officials to develop plans to rectify these issues, enabling public universities to attain national and international rankings.
The Chief Minister proposed the formation of a specialist committee tasked with visiting national and international universities to assess current standards and recommend changes to courses and curricula in line with evolving trends. He indicated that curriculum adjustments could be made as early as the next academic year based on the committee’s findings.
To inspire students, Naidu called for the organisation of large-scale university convocations. When informed by officials that the existing gross enrolment ratio stands at 36 per cent, with a target of 60 per cent by 2029, Naidu suggested interlinking student certificates with Aadhaar and integrating them into digital lockers by November.
Additionally, the Chief Minister instructed officials to explore the possibility of issuing joint degree certificates in collaboration with foreign universities. He endorsed a proposal to consolidate existing legislation into a single law, replacing the eight current laws, and recommended appointing prominent industrialists as chairpersons of the Board of Governance, similar to those in IITs and IIMs.
Naidu firmly believes that vacant teaching positions hinder the delivery of quality education, urging officials to expedite notifications for filling these posts. He also announced plans to establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) university on a Public-Private Participation (PPP) basis and emphasised the need for the proposed Sports Village in Amaravati to meet global standards.
Criticising the previous government for transforming universities into political rehabilitation centres, Naidu expressed the necessity for radical changes within the system, free from political interference. He suggested the establishment of career counselling centres across the state to guide students in selecting career paths aligned with their talents.
Minister for Education Nara Lokesh and various officials were present at the review meeting, demonstrating a united front in the push for educational reform in Andhra Pradesh.
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