Poor attendance of principals angers Ganta

Visakhapatnam: HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao was irked over the poor attendance of principals and correspondents of all AU-
affiliated colleges at a meeting convened here on Sunday with the chairman of AP Higher Education Council Prof K Venugopal Reddy and
Vice-Chairman Prof Vijay Prakash.

The Minister said that in spite of the prior information about the very important meeting to discuss reforms in the education sector, most
of the affiliated college principals and correspondents were absent and asked AU authorities to initiate action after seeking explanation
from the absentees.

In the meeting, the Minister said the State government is allocating 16.5 per cent of its total budget for education sector and so the
universities and their affiliated colleges should compete with international institutions coming up in AP.

The education system should be such that to cater the needs of industrial sector, it is the responsibility of Vice-Chancellors to visit the
affiliated colleges personally to examine the education system, he explained.

AP Higher Education Council chairman Prof K Venugopala Reddy asked the college managements not to run the institutions as commercial
organisations and to note that employment opportunities at the degree level have been increasing. The last date for introducing bio-
metric system and to install CCTV cameras in all affiliated colleges is February 29 to contain ragging menace, he reminded.