AP Government Degree Colleges, Universities Struggling To Fill Seats
Fewer than 31,000 of the more than 70,000 seats available in Andhra Pradesh's 152 government degree colleges have been filled in the first phase of admissions this academic year.
Kurnool: Government universities and degree colleges in Andhra Pradesh are struggling to attract students.
The situation is particularly grim in Rayalaseema, where several public institutions have failed to fill even 30 per cent of their seats.
The state has 152 government degree colleges offering more than 70,000 seats.
However, fewer than 31,000 seats have been filled in the first phase of admissions this academic year.
These institutions receive government grants worth crores of rupees.
Yet they are struggling to attract students to their degree, engineering and postgraduate courses.
Yogi Vemana University in Kadapa district has over 800 seats, only 195 of which have been filled, according to figures cited by university sources.
Some courses, like honours programmes in Telugu, English and journalism, have failed to attract even a single student, highlighting the challenges.
The situation is equally concerning at Rayalaseema University in Kurnool.
The district has three government degree colleges in Kurnool city and nine in other areas of the district.
Only around 29 per cent of the available seats have been filled, according to admission figures.
Rayalaseema University vice-chancellor V. V. Basavaraju said the decline is not confined to this institution but has affected the entire state.
He attributed this to the growing preference among students for national-level institutions.
“IITs and NITs have expanded.
More students are opting for them,” Basavaraju pointed out.
Even the introduction of honours and integrated programmes has failed to generate a response.
Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati, once considered one of the most prestigious institutions in the region, has struggled to fill even 40 per cent of its degree seats.
The problem extends to engineering education, too.
Over 60 per cent of the seats in Yogi Vemana University’s engineering campus at Proddatur are vacant.
The engineering college under Rayalaseema University in Kurnool has reported a similar decline in admissions.
Some students who secured admission in the first counselling reportedly shifted to private colleges in subsequent rounds.
Yogi Vemana University vice-chancellor B. Rajasekhar said private degree colleges are actively enrolling students immediately after they complete their intermediate education.
Lack of awareness among students about the courses available at government institutions is contributing to the problem.
“Admissions have fallen short of expectations in most programmes, with exceptions being the five-year courses in biotechnology and bioinformatics,” the vice-chancellor pointed out.
Shortage of regular faculty, dependence on guest lecturers and inadequate publicity about specialised courses available are among the factors believed to be affecting admissions.
Further, public universities have failed to retain their academic reputation and compete with private institutions.
