Kurnool: Thirty-five years after its establishment, the Andhra Pradesh Open School (APOSS) continues to struggle for national recognition.
Its certificates remain unaccepted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for official documentation, like passports. Currently, only SSC, Intermediate and regular degree certificates are acknowledged for purposes such as proof of date of birth, by sidelining APOSS credentials.’
This lack of recognition has created obstacles at passport offices and Seva Kendras. These entities decline APOSS certificates, citing the absence of a government nod for these qualifications.
Initially, APOSS was introduced to curb school dropouts and boost literacy in Andhra Pradesh.
Founded in 1991, APOSS recently expanded to offer Intermediate courses. The SSC course, available to anyone aged 14 or older, does not require prior qualifications, provided the candidate self-certifies his or her ability to undertake related studies.
Upon completion of SSC, students become eligible for Intermediate studies through APOSS or regular schooling.
Due to this lack of national-level recognition, APOSS students face difficulties particularly with higher education admissions. Law aspirants encountered significant hurdles last year when APOSS certificates were not initially accepted by the Bar Council of India. This issue was resolved only through court intervention, with undertakings eventually allowing some students to pursue legal studies.
Although GO 723 was issued by the state government in 2008 and guidelines from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) issued in Sep 2012 affirmed the validity of APOSS certificates for education and employment, the external affairs ministry is yet to recognize them for passport documentation.
In a recent case, a Kurnool candidate seeking a passport was advised to provide other certifications beyond Intermediate or graduation degrees. The situation underscores the need for stronger advocacy from the state government to secure comprehensive national recognition for all APOSS courses, he opined.
