AP Govt wants to establish AP as knowledge hub

 Visakhapatnam: HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao on Sunday said that despite severe financial constraints, the State government allocated Rs 25,003 crore to make the state as knowledge hub.

Addressing the media after emerging out from the VC’s conference held at Senate Hall in Andhra University, Ganta Srinivasa Rao said that the fund spent on education was 15 per cent of the budget presented by the government and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was extending full support to realise his vision of making the state an innovation and education hub.

Many colleges affiliated to the state universities are not paying the affiliation fees despite repeated reminders, he said and added, “Notices will be served on the colleges and subsequently they will face action if the dues are not cleared early.” 

Stating that faculty and infrastructure are foremost requirement for the education institutions, he said the state government was ready to hire assistant professors once the stay order issued by the court lifted. 

He recalled that the Hyderabad High Court recently stayed the candidates’ selection process to posts of assistant professors in various varsities of Andhra Pradesh state on the issue of providing inadequate reservation for STs.

The APPSC had submitted the final list of candidates after conducting the selection procedure in a sealed cover to the AP HRD minster office. The minister said that over 21,000 application had been received for the assistant professors’ posts. Of which, 3,240 candidates qualified the test and 1,044 of them will be absorbed, he said. 

He said that biometric attendance is must to increase the quality of teaching and learning at educational institutions. Many students are claiming their scholarship without attending the classes, he pointed out. The varsities must introduce the biometric system by March 31, the Minister said.