Lokesh Reiterates AP Universities will be Turned into Temples of Learning

Vijayawada: Education, IT, RTGS and electronics minister Nara Lokesh said within six months of assuming office, the NDA alliance government led by Telugu Desam Party has embarked on a revolutionary overhaul of higher education system in the state.

“Key reforms have been introduced to transform universities, previously seen as political strongholds, into temples of learning. As part of this, notifications have been issued to appoint qualified individuals as regular vice chancellors of the 17 universities in the state. Search committees, which have been appointed for the purpose, will be free from political influence,” Lokesh assured.

He promised a common law with the goal of making the state's education system a model for the country within the next five years. A roadmap has been prepared to fill the approximately 3,300 vacant posts across universities.

“An MoU has been signed with IIT Madras to implement the Self-Plus model for skill development among students, which will be incorporated into the syllabus of all degree courses in the state. This will facilitate academic learning along with skill training tailored to meet the students' interests.

The education minister said in collaboration with prominent industries, efforts are on to establish five state-of-the-art Centres of Excellence equipped with advanced technologies. He set a target of achieving 85 per cent digitalisation of academic records within the next six months. He instructed all universities to implement the Smart University Management System.

Lokesh underlined that with the goal of ensuring that no student completing his / her education in the state remains unemployed, rapid changes are being made in the curricula to align education with industry and societal needs during the academic year 2025–26.

The minister pointed out that to improve rankings of the state's universities under the NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework), a strategic framework and mentorship committees have been set up. Additionally, a partnership with Delhi University has been established to implement better university management systems. The e-Smart system, which is currently being implemented across all state universities, is making progress, he maintained.

Lokesh emphasised that to ensure employment for students who graduate in the state, digitalisation has been accelerated. "For ensuring employment, 98 per cent of students have been provided with Aadhaar-based IDs in record time. 62.2 per cent of the academic certificates have been uploaded to DigiLocker,” he stated.

The minister said instructions have been issued to implement the ₹277.74 crore PM-USHA project swiftly to promote research in universities. Under the Purvodaya scheme, proposals worth ₹3,324 crore have been prepared to strengthen academic infrastructure in the state universities. Model degree colleges in Kadapa and Visakhapatnam districts, whose construction had been left incomplete by the previous government, are ready for inauguration, he added.