From Our Correspondent
Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh government has introduced a sweeping amendment to the state’s private university law to attract global institutions and ease regulatory hurdles, Education, IT & Electronics Minister Nara Lokesh announced in the Assembly on Tuesday.
Lokesh explained that one of the major constraints under the existing law was a now-scrapped requirement that private universities must offer joint certification with a top-100 global university. That clause, introduced by the previous YSRCP regime via the 2023 amendment to Act No. 40, had stifled new entrants, particularly greenfield universities, he said.
Under the proposed changes, the government aims to promote high-quality, research-oriented, and industry-relevant higher education by allowing both greenfield and brownfield universities to be established without the restrictive joint degree condition. He noted that the original Private Universities Act of January 2016 had envisaged such flexibility, enabling private institutions to set up in Andhra Pradesh under clear guidelines.
So far, 14 private universities have been established in the state under the existing framework, but the 2023 clause blocked further expansion, compelling aspiring institutions to move to neighboring states, Lokesh said.
Key provisions & vision
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The amendment proposes to remove the joint-certification requirement with top-100 global universities.
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Institutions need to satisfy UGC / NAAC / NIRF / regulatory benchmarks, such as graduating three batches and demonstrating quality standards, before awarding joint degrees, he added.
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Lokesh emphasized that the state will compete with other states to bring top-tier foreign and national universities into Andhra Pradesh. He mentioned that 70 acres have been allocated in Amaravati for BITS Pilani under this vision.
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Plans are also under discussion to establish Deep Tech, AI, and Sports universities, and introduce subject-specific institutions aligned with local industry needs.
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The minister said these reforms will encourage better research, foster startup ecosystems, and allow flexible curricula tailored to regional industrial demands.
The amendment bill was subsequently passed by the Assembly and Council, with unanimous support, Lokesh said.
Opposition members had questioned the removal of safeguards, but Lokesh assured that regulatory oversight and quality checks will remain central. He said the government would consider suggestions from MLAs on the shipbuilding universities and other parameters during the legislative process.
With these changes, Andhra Pradesh seeks to transform into a higher education hub by incentivizing private universities, especially global institutions, to set up campuses within the state instead of bypassing it.