Nellore: VR Institutions lose sheen with no focus on development

Nellore: The prestigious 150-year-old Venkatagiri Rajah's College in the city has been facing severe financial crisis due to lack of proper management besides the merger issues put a huge financial burden of paying salaries to 22 teaching and non-teaching staff members with a 31 students strength in the entire institutions. The institutions have been under control of Special Officer since 2018 and the situation worsened year by year. The prestigious institution consists of VR Institute of Advanced Studies, VR Institute of PG Studies, VR B Ed., VR D Ed., VR Law, VR High School and VR Colleges. Late Dewan of Venkatagiri-Sunku Narayana Swamy Chetty-founded the institution in 1875. Maharaja of Venkatagiri came to rescue the institution when it faced a severe financial crunch in 1886 and the Maharaja formally inaugurated the institutions on July 2, 1920.

It was the first educational institution affiliated to Madras Presidency and subsequently Andhra University was founded in 1926 at Visakhapatnam and VR institutions have become part of the varsity. In 1956, it turned into an affiliated college of Sri Venkateswara University and is now under Vikrama Simhapuri University.

Due to some legal dispute in the issue of Managing Committee, the state government appointed a special officer for monitoring day to day affairs of the institute since 2018. Normally, Joint Collectors are looking after the issues as special officers. The legal disputes, internal squabbles, and changing policies of the governments affected the prestigious institution making it a rehabilitation centre for employment as it has been getting government-aid.

Now, there are only 32 students in the entire institution of second year. Two students in M SC organic chemistry, 4 students in M Sc Computer Sciences, 3 students in M.Sc mathematics, 12 students in M Com finance management, 7 students in MA English and 4 students in MA Telugu. AICTE cancelled admissions for MCA course in the institutions. Only 5 students joined the first-year MBA course this year. However, the institute has 11 teaching staff members. 1 faculty member each in M Sc organic chemistry, MA English and MA Telugu departments; 3 faculty members in M Sc computer science, 5 members in MBA and M Com: and there is specific department for M Sc mathematics. Even there are no admissions into MCA course still there is a director for the wing getting a huge amount of salary. VR Law and B.Ed colleges are getting good admissions due to demand.

In fact, there is no committee for the institutions and the Joint Collector has been the special officer for the last four years facing an inconvenient situation for proper management of the institutions. In fact, Joint Collectors are busy with their routine activities and there is no chance for focusing on the development of Institutions. The Andhra Pradesh Parents Association demanded the state government to focus on the development of prestigious institutions.