Anantapur: Sri Krishnadevaraya's skill development institute in a shambles

Anantapur: Sri Krishnadevaraya Institute of Academic Development (SKIAD) which rendered yeomen services to students and unemployed and unskilled youth until 2015, has downed its shutters since 2016 and lies in a shambles, defeating the noble objectives of boosting the skills of youth and their employability.

SKD University founded the Institute in 1995 but after 2015, SKU administration turned lethargic and was a mute spectator to the virtual loot of its infrastructure by anti-social elements. The buildings are now in a dilapidated condition. Students who didn't get placements after completing their degree courses used to attend training courses for competitive examinations.

Courses offered at SKIAD are industry and job-oriented. Coaching in SKIAD promises placement assistance and guidance to students belonging to rural background. The trainers used to design and deliver the needful training on the skill set that equips the students to achieve their dream job. The courses can be taught in small classrooms equipped with essentials. This institute keeps its costs low and thus can offer training free of cost.

Classrooms at SKIAD have good infrastructure to conduct a real-time programming lab for the students. The purpose of SKIAD is to stimulate the creativity of students and enhance their employability skills. Students acquire the entrepreneurship competences by applying the problem-solving methodology to their innovative projects based on sustainable development. Skills and qualification mismatches persist despite the expansion of education, which is poorly aligned to the variable structure of abilities required by employers.

Faculty at SKIAD helps the students to fulfill their dreams. They try to stimulate students' competences to be capable to take the opportunities they will run into after finishing their studies. There are three classrooms, two tutorials, library, a few computers, desks, office tables, fans and permanent infrastructure to run the classes. Coaching for GATE, banking, VAO, panchayat secretary and other competitive examinations were conducted regularly till 2015. SKIAD was completely closed in 2016. Several organisations have given representations to successive Vice-Chancellors over the plight of SKIAD. Philanthropists have donated necessary infrastructure to run the institute. Now the books, computers, desks, tables, fans and office furniture disappeared in SKIAD.

Earlier, hundreds of students belonging to underprivileged sections and rural background benefitted from SKIAD and got decent jobs in public sector. Faculty from JNTU Anantapur used to take classes for IES and GATE but now everything lies in shambles. The youth and students urge the SKU authorities not to abandon a noble project. They should at least give it to a competent NGO to run it under its supervision or run it on its own.