VISAKHAPATNAM: Cracking the whip to ensure quality education in the state, Andhra Pradesh government here Monday directed 14 erring colleges, including 11 engineering colleges and three pharma colleges, to stop admissions for the next academic year.
Announcing the decision to streamline the education sector, HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao said that the government would initiate a grading system for engineering colleges. The colleges will be graded ‘A, B, C, and D’ based on the infrastructural facilities and teaching faculty.
Demonstrating the government’s resolve to ensure quality education, the state government has stopped 11 engineering colleges and three pharmacy colleges in the state from admitting students for 2015-16. The decision was taken after a committee appointed by the state government found that some colleges were indulging in gross irregularities in admissions.
“It was found that these colleges were admitting students from other states such as Jharkhand, Odisha and Manipur, against the prescribed norms,” said Ganta Srinivasa Rao.
The minister told newsmen here Monday that the government would now take steps to streamline BEd colleges where there were complaints of irregularities. “The government will take steps to curb malpractice. We intend to develop our state as a knowledge state. Quality should be maintained in education sector and we have formed a committee to grade engineering colleges, depending on their performance. The proposals will be implemented during the current academic year,” he added.
The HRD minister also said that the government had decided to improve basic amenities and academic standards in government educational institutions. As a first step, the officials will take up rationalisation to ensure a student - teacher ratio of 30:1 in government schools and fill vacant teacher posts. A DSC notification will be issued shortly for recruitment of around 10,900 teachers. Besides improving education standards, the government will improve infrastructure and would complete construction of 18,000 toilets in schools by the end of next academic year, said Ganta Srinivasa Rao. Further, he added that the authorities had been directed to appoint a watchman in every girls school.
He also revealed that the Union government had granted permission to commence admissions to four national institutions being set up in Andhra Pradesh from 2015-16. “Admissions will be taken up for 120 seats in IIT, 75 in IISIR, 50 in IIM and 240 seats in IIIT. The foundation stone for construction of the NIT, tribal university and Central university will be laid next year,” the minister said.