Lokesh Assures Recruitment Of University Faculty By April Next Year

Addressing the state-level Teachers’ Day celebrations in Vijayawada in the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Lokesh said having affected major changes in school education, the state government will now be focusing on higher education.

“We are now shifting our focus to universities,” the minister underlined, disclosing that a unified law for universities is being considered for uniformity.

Lokesh declared that the government would conduct three more DSC recruitments with the same transparency as the Mega DSC 2025. He credited Naidu with conducting 14 DSCs when he had been the state’s CM during various periods, recruiting nearly two lakh teachers. The latest Mega DSC had filled 16,000 posts, he recalled.

The education minister said the government aims to transform universities into research-driven institutions and make Andhra Pradesh No. 1 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).

He maintained that their government has appointed vice chancellors, including experts from IITs and NITs, without political considerations. Universities would be integrated with emerging economic clusters, including space, drones, aquaculture, pharmaceuticals, and data centres, he explained.

Lokesh said their reforms include scrapping GO 117, introducing the “One Class-One Teacher” system in 10,000 primary schools, the LEAP app for service-related matters, curriculum changes, a Teacher Transfer Act, and seniority lists. He maintained that these moves have led to 1.10 lakh students shifting from private to government schools this year.

The minister stressed teachers’ responsibility in building discipline, values, and mental resilience among students. Referring to the recent suicide of a student shortly after participating in a parent-teacher meeting, he asked teachers to closely monitor children’s mental health. Children must be assured that failure in an examination is not the end of life.

Lokesh said the government’s ultimate objective is to make its education model No. 1 in the country, from Anganwadi to the postgraduate level. He pointed out that exposure visits for AP teachers to Singapore and Finland have already been arranged, while similar programmes would be organised for higher education faculty.

Marking the Teachers’ Day, Naidu and Lokesh honoured 175 best teachers, lecturers, and professors with shawls, citations, medals, mementoes and ₹20,000 cash awards each.

Students presented cultural programmes as part of the celebrations.