Anantapur Central University cries for urgent attention

People of Rayalaseema in general and Anantapur in particular feel it is a pride to have central university in Anantapur. It was a long felt desire of the people of this region to have this institution here. While bifurcating the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh State a number of assurances were given to the residual state. One among them was to establish a Central University. Accordingly this institution has been established in Anantapur. This institution is right now functioning in an unused portion of JNTU college.

Though three years are over the University is yet to get basic facilities and administrative set up even. Surprisingly this university is yet to have a Registrar and bodies like Academic Council, Finance Committee etc., With the recently sanctioned five more departments this institution has eleven departments. At the rate of eight faculties to each department this institution should have at least 88 faculties to part with reasonably qualitative education to the highly aspiring students who are drawn from various parts of the country. But the pitiable situation is such that there are hardly less than fifteen faculties available. Online guest lectures are arranged with faculties of various fields from various places. The students are not in a position to best utilise these lectures due to various causes.

The library is ill-equipped with least number of books. Though online link is provided with various digital libraries students have some inherent problems in utilising them. Most of the students are hailing from faraway places of the country.It is needless to say that providing good hostel facility is of utmost importance. The available hostels are temporary arrangements, besides being insufficient and ill-equipped. After the students going on protest for some time with the timely intervention of the MP. T. Rangaiah, a better accommodation is arranged for at least girl students.

The institution has never received the amount sanctioned in budget in full. Though sprawling place is allotted away from the city even basic works are not taken up so far. Though job oriented courses are available the absence of a Placement Cell adds to the burden of the institution head.

This limping institution is surviving with the dedicated contributions of the Vice Chancellor and a few well experienced faculties but for which the situation would have been much worse.

It is true that health and education are not at all in the priority of the rulers. But it is high time for all the concerned to keep the ambitious and highly aspiring students' future in mind and improve the institution to match all the standards and eminent institutions available elsewhere.

One happy development is that the MP is now taking these issues with the respective authorities and institutions. United Citizens Forum also resolves to sensitise all the concerned to hasten the process of making this a real pride of this region. People of this region wish that it should not be like giving TV without remote.

A G Rajmohan, Anantapur