First year Intermediate classes begin in Andhra Pradesh

KAKINADA: Classes for first-year Intermediate students started in the two Godavari districts on Monday. This included 324 colleges in East Godavari and 211 in West Godavari, inclusive of both government and private institutions.

It must be noted that students of Class X were all promoted due to Covid-19.

Intermediate regional inspecting officer of East Godavari I. Sarada said that the second phase of admissions would be held from January 18 to 25 while summer holidays and second Saturdays have been cancelled up to May 31. She said that private and unaided colleges should run from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm and collect fees as prescribed by the government.

Sarada said that college managements which accepted admissions offline should upload details of the students through the Jnanabhoomi portal.  She said that as many as 45,000 students were admitted in first-year Intermediate in the first phase.

Meanwhile, West Godavari regional Intermediate officer B. Prabhakar said that the admission details are in the uploading process and all instructions have been issued to private junior colleges.

Meanwhile, the government fixed tuition fees in aided and cooperative junior colleges for the academic year 2019-20. Aided colleges should only collect Rs. 1, 560 for first year and Rs. 1,716 for second year. Private and cooperative junior colleges should collect only Rs.3,119 for first year and Rs.3, 432 for second year.

However, no private junior college is following these instructions and thousands of rupees are being collected as tuition fees.  In fact, private junior colleges started the first year Intermediate classes two months back and are collecting fees without considering the holidays.

According to a parent, although they were closed up to October, the institutions were collecting fees even for months when they were closed. He said that the government should directly collect the fees from parents and guardians and remit to college managements.