Anantapur: Education minister Adimulapu Suresh has said the Andhra Pradesh government is keen on strengthening education with the aim to make the five state varsities stand among the top ten at the national level. Reforms and strengthening the system would keep JNTU Anantapur, JNTU Kakinada, Andhra University, Sri Venkateswara University and IIIT University at top level, he said on Tuesday.
"As part of this, funding for large-scale varsities and recruitment of 2,000 assistant professors and other faculty and recruitment of backlog posts will be taken up," the minister said.
Suresh along with roads and buildings minister Malagundla Shankara Narayana laid the foundation stone for the pharmacy clock and hostel buildings for girls and boys at the Oil Technological and Research Institute (OTRI) here. About Rs 20crore has been sanctioned for the OTRI Institute.
Minister Suresh said the YSRC government is giving top priority to education. Reforms were being carried out at all levels in education — from pre-primary to higher education and technical education — in line with the new national education policy.
He said decisive steps have been taken to make pre-primary schools a part of primary schools like nowhere else in the country and to provide quality education to children below the age of five and set up a commission to regulate fees in corporate schools. In the coming academic year, the government will take serious steps against corporate schools to end a system of collection of heavy fees even for online education.
The minister said Andhra Kesari University will be renovated in Prakasam district. A special ordinance will be brought in to reopen the university with 18 departments. A plea is before the government seeking Rs300 crore for development of the university. At least 160 new teaching posts are coming up in Andhra Kesari Varsity.
Similarly, two teacher training institutes will be set up in the state. Already, a big number of students have opted for laptops through the Ammavodi scheme in the state.
MP Talari Rangaiah, MLAs Anantha Venkatrami Reddy, Tippeswamy, JNTU Vice-Chancellor Dr Ranga Janardhana, Anantapur Central University VC Dr S.A. Cory and SK University VC Prof. Ramakrishnareddy were present.
