Students of Andhra University opposing central status

Visakhapatnam: Students of Andhra University are opposing central varsity status to the varsity, even while the authorities are leaving no stone unturned to secure it.

The students are worried that the upgradation would affect their privilege of reservation as local candidates. Political parties have also joined the students and begun voicing their resentment against the proposal.

Majority of the students in the varsity are from north Andhra region and they pursue social sciences, to appear for competitive exams like APPSC, B.Ed and others.

Students opposing the central varsity status say the reservation formula for local candidates would completely change, once the varsity gets upgraded. According to the Andhra Pradesh Educational Institutions (Regulations of Admissions) Order, 1974, 85 per cent seats are being allocated for local candidates of universities in the state while students from scheduled castes are getting 15 per cent, scheduled tribes 6 per cent and those from backward classes 25 per cent in admissions. Backward classes comprise of A-E categories. Women get 33.3 per cent quota in each category.

These apart, there are some other reservations for special categories.

But, once the status is upgraded, 80 per cent of the seats would be allotted to students from across the country, basing on their merit. Central universities allocate 15 per cent seats to SCs, 7.5 per cent to STs and 27 per cent to BCs.

“If AU is given central status, local candidates will have to compete at national level for every single seat. Only 20 per cent of the students will be benefited. Though the diversity and heterogeneous academic environment would make AU a coveted brand, it would be detrimental to the people from this area,” felt a AU professor.

There are demands for reservation to local candidates residing in the jurisdiction of central varsities, but the institutions have been refusing to provide such quota as the government has to amend the Act.

Further, the varsity had recently submitted a detailed report to the ministry of human resources.

“The status will be of benefit only to retiring professors, as they would get additional five years of service and the institution will also get more financial allocations. It will not help students in and around Vizag. As the PM had promised to sanction a central varsity to north Andhra, we have to fight for a separate varsity,” said a administrator of AU.