UGC South Zone Conference on VIKAS 2026 Held at SPMVV

TIRUPATI: The University Grants Commission, in association with Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam (SPMVV), organised the UGC South Zone (Andhra Pradesh) Zonal Conference on the theme “VIKAS 2026: Steps Towards Industry Knowledge, Apprenticeship, and Skilling” at Tirupati on Friday.

Addressing the gathering as chief guest, Manish Joshi, secretary of the University Grants Commission, said the VIKAS 2026 conference was aimed at improving quality standards in higher education and aligning youth aspirations with the vision of Viksit Bharat.

He said institutions that have implemented the apprenticeship embedded degree programme (AEDP) should share their experiences and outcomes, particularly on how the programme helps students improve employability.

He added that insights on challenges faced during implementation and feedback from students would be useful in shaping future policies. Stressing the need for strong industry–academia collaboration, he noted that higher education policies must move beyond formulation and be effectively implemented on campuses. Guest of honour S. Vijay Bhaskara Rao, vice-chairman of the AP State Council of Higher Education, said the state government was rolling out new initiatives and institutional frameworks to encourage entrepreneurship.

He urged students to emerge as industry leaders capable of generating employment, promoting startups and building a skilled workforce suited to the needs of AP, adding that the AEDP was well aligned with industry requirements.

Vice-chancellor Prof. V. Uma said the conference sought to support the effective implementation of NEP 2020 reforms, strengthen industry–academia linkages, design SWAYAM Plus modules and encourage collaborative curriculum development through focused discussions. She underlined the need for institutions to work together on skill development and practical exposure to build a future-ready workforce. Registrar R. Usha called on participants to share their AEDP experiences and jointly prepare a clear roadmap.

The programme later featured discipline-wise brainstorming sessions in arts, science and commerce, where delegates discussed curriculum changes, module design and implementation strategies. Academicians from universities and autonomous colleges across the UGC South Zone (Andhra Pradesh), coordinators Prof. Vidyavathi and Prof. Shobha Rani, and senior administrative officials were present.