HYDERABAD: Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Thursday asked vice-chancellors to take a more active role in teaching and steer institutions towards skill development, employability and research, while highlighting the state’s relatively high enrolment in higher education.
Addressing a meeting of vice-chancellors convened by the TGCHE, the governor said universities must go beyond being degree-awarding bodies and evolve into centres that drive innovation and economic growth. He noted that Telangana’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education is around 40%, higher than the national average, and attributed it to sustained efforts to expand access.
At the same time, he called for improving quality and relevance, and urged V-Cs to personally engage with students by taking classes. Shukla stressed the need for closer coordination with the government and the education department in areas such as funding, curriculum reforms and implementation of national initiatives l. He also emphasised strengthening research ecosystems through specialised centres, particularly in agriculture, horticulture and organic seeds, while addressing challenges of global competitiveness and talent migration.
During the meeting, TGCHE chairman Prof V Balakista Reddy briefed the governor on reforms introduced over the past year, including new courses, promotion of research and initiatives aimed at skill development.
V-Cs of various state universities made presentations outlining achievements, challenges and future plans. Universities in the agriculture and horticulture sectors highlighted the use of advanced tech to support farmers and sectoral development. On the occasion, the governor released a report titled From Vision to Impact: TGCHE’s Recent Higher Education Reforms.