Private degree colleges oppose APSCHE order

Srikakulam: AP State Council for Higher Education (APSCHE) recently issued orders that all private degree colleges must have own buildings. With these orders, managements of all private colleges started opposing that with present land and construction costs owning buildings are impossible. They said fee-reimbursement amount on each student was also meagre when compared with present rates.

Under BR Ambedkar University (BRAU) limits in Srikakulam district, out of total 90 private degree colleges only 20 are having own buildings and remaining 70 are being run in rented buildings. 

In Andhra University (AU) limits in Visakhapatnam and Vizianagaram districts, total private colleges are 250 of them only 50 are being run in own buildings. There is a clause in APSCHE rules that for establishment of a private degree college a society must be formed and it can be run in private building up to five years.

After that another five years can be run in same building on self-affidavit of the society members. As per National Council for Education, Research and Training (NCERT) norms, if any college run in rented building on long-term lease basis it can be treated as own building.

But private degree colleges’ managements opposed these orders and opined that it is impossible to own building at present land and construction costs.

“Five years ago, the government appointed a committee with five vice-chancellors to study on problems of private colleges but the committee yet to submit its report,” said Private Degree Colleges Union district president and executive council (EC) member of BRAU Ponnana Jaya Ram to The Hans India.

“In 2008, fee reimbursement on each student is Rs 8,000. Even after 10 years it is Rs 9,000 which is less when compare with present rates,” Jaya Ram added.

“We can provide quality education and infrastructure facilities to students but owning a building at current rates will be impossible with meagre fee-reimbursement on each student,” opined private degree colleges’ representatives Hanumanthu Polinaidu and Bingi Chittibabu. 

By Chowdari Lakshmana Rao