From Our Correspondent
Amaravati : The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council on Friday approved three key bills aimed at reforming higher education in the state, including the establishment of an international law university, amendments to the Private Universities Act, and changes to the AP Universities Act. The bills were introduced by Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh.
International Law University in Amaravati
The Council cleared the India International University of Legal Education and Research of the Bar Council of India Trust (AP Bill – 2025). Lokesh said the university would be modeled on the National Law School of India, Bengaluru, set up by the Bar Council of India in 1986, which later became a template for law universities across the country.
He noted that the Bar Council of India had already established a similar international university in Goa, governed by a board including Supreme Court and High Court judges. In Amaravati, the government has allocated 55 acres of land for the project, which will also house an Arbitration Centre, Mediation and Consultation Centre for Continuing Legal Education, and a Judicial Training Centre.
To ensure access, 25% of seats will be reserved for AP students, and the university will follow central government guidelines on reservations. Lokesh also reiterated the coalition government’s earlier promise to establish a High Court Bench in Kurnool, saying that process was underway and an arbitration centre would also come up there.
Private Universities Amendment
Introducing the AP Private Universities Amendment Bill, Lokesh said the 2016 Act had attracted 14 private universities to the state under greenfield and brownfield categories. However, the 2023 amendment brought by the previous government had made it mandatory for private universities to offer joint degrees only in collaboration with top-100 global institutions, which, he argued, went against UGC norms and effectively blocked new universities from coming to Andhra Pradesh.
He pointed out that under UGC’s 2022 regulations, joint degrees can only be offered by universities with NAAC accreditation above 3.0, three graduating batches, and top-100 NIRF ranking — conditions impossible for greenfield universities to meet immediately. By removing this restrictive clause, Lokesh said, the government aimed to make Andhra Pradesh more attractive to foreign and private universities, boost world-class education, and expand research and startup ecosystems.
AP Universities Amendment Bill
The Council also passed the AP Universities Amendment Bill – 2025, which includes the removal of the outdated term “leprosy” from the statutes.
Government’s Vision
Lokesh said the overarching goal of these reforms was to raise higher education standards, attract global universities, promote research, and design curricula tailored to industrial needs. “We want Andhra Pradesh to be at the forefront of world-class education and create opportunities that will benefit both our students and the industries coming into the state,” he said.