From Our Correspondent
Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh Minister for Education and IT Nara Lokesh has directed officials to prepare a Unified Act for all state universities to streamline governance and ensure uniform standards in higher education. He issued these instructions during a high-level review meeting on higher and intermediate education held at his Undavalli residence.
Lokesh expressed concern over the declining employability of engineering graduates, pointing out that many students were finding jobs only after short-term coaching in private institutes. He called for an urgent overhaul of the higher education curriculum to align with industry needs and improve job readiness.
The minister instructed officials to link all ITIs and universities with industries by the end of November and ensure that private colleges are integrated with the state’s NaiPunya skill portal to guarantee campus placements. He emphasized that 100% placement drives should be conducted across universities, IITs, and IIITs.
Lokesh also stressed the need for a robust student tracking system from KG to PG, enabling the government to monitor academic progress, attendance, and employability outcomes. He directed officials to introduce face-recognition-based attendance in colleges and establish a student feedback mechanism in all universities.
The minister reviewed vacant faculty positions, NAAC and NIRF ranking improvements, and e-governance initiatives such as Samardh and Digital Governance Frameworks. He asked departments to expedite recruitment and improve institutional performance metrics.
On intermediate education, Lokesh instructed the Board of Intermediate officials to take steps to increase the pass percentage and introduce weekly assessments across all streams. He stressed the importance of tracking students in vocational courses and called for time-bound approvals for private colleges.
Reviewing the ‘Akshara Andhra’ literacy mission, Lokesh said the goal for this year is to make 25 lakh people literate, and urged officials to intensify implementation.
Highlighting the importance of industry-academia collaboration, Lokesh said, “Education must translate into employability. Our goal is to ensure that every student who completes a degree in Andhra Pradesh has a job opportunity waiting.”
The meeting was attended by Human Resources Secretary Kona Shashidhar, AP State Council of Higher Education Chairman K. Madhumurthy, Director of Collegiate Education Narayana Bharat Gupta, and other senior officials.