Massive Response To AP University Faculty Recruitment

Vijayawada: Education minister Nara Lokesh has directed officials to ensure that the ongoing recruitment of professors, associate professors and assistant professors in state universities is conducted with the highest standards of transparency, quality and accountability.

Reviewing higher education and skill development initiatives with senior officials on Thursday, the minister examined the progress of faculty recruitment for 1,523 teaching posts across various universities. Officials informed him that the recruitment notification had generated an overwhelming response, with 1,89,316 applications received so far.

Lokesh advised officials to undertake a data-driven cross-verification of every application to maintain fairness and credibility in the selection process. “Since recruitment is being conducted on a university-wise basis, there exists a need for clear guidelines for selection committees,” he said, and urged the authorities to complete the recruitment process at the earliest.

Officials also informed him that the syllabus for the written examination for assistant professor posts had already been released.

The minister also reviewed the framework being prepared for establishing Skill Universities in the state.

He said strong industry linkages and sector-specific partnerships should be made mandatory and directed officials to design a model legislation that could serve as a benchmark for skill universities across the country.

Lokesh asked officials to launch the Naipunyam Portal in July to benefit unemployed youth. Every registered candidate will receive an online skill card, enabling better access to training and employment opportunities.

The minister noted that the Centre had sanctioned five clusters under the PM Setu scheme for Andhra Pradesh.

Officials said ArcelorMittal would support the development of a steel, shipbuilding and petrochemical cluster.

Lokesh directed officials to strengthen ITIs under the scheme in renewable energy, pharma, aqua and Sri City clusters and expedite the establishment of AI laboratories in all government ITIs with central assistance.

Officials informed the minister that 92 construction firms participated in a recent seminar organised under the national academy of construction, while leading companies such as Saint-Gobain and UltraTech agreed to establish five Centres of Excellence.

Officials said that 146 candidates would be placed in overseas jobs through OMCAP next month, including 84 nurses and 16 blue-collar workers.

Given the growing demand for healthcare workers in Japan, Lokesh asked officials to focus on creating opportunities for trained candidates in that sector.

While reviewing the progress of the Quantum AI Skilling Programme, the minister was informed that 1,30,422 youths had secured employment through the job fairs across the state. He asked officials to organise job fairs at constituency headquarters once every quarter.

Officials also briefed him on the development of the state employment operating system (SEOS), which is being monitored through a central command-and-control mechanism. District-level placement teams and placement officers would soon be appointed.

Lokesh directed officials to make a KPI dashboard operational before the upcoming meeting of district skill officers.

Education secretary Syamala Rao, higher education commissioner Narayana Bharat Gupta and skill development corporation MD Ganesh Kumar were among those present.