HYDERABAD: Government degree colleges in Telangana, once seen as a fallback option, have emerged as the preferred choice among students during the ongoing Degree Online Services Telangana (DOST) admissions, reflecting the state’s efforts to link higher education with industry and employability.
According to data released by the Collegiate and Technical Education department, government colleges account for only 25% of the state’s degree colleges, but nearly half (49.6%) of all seats allotted in the first phase of DOST counselling went to them.
A total of 27,853 seats were allotted to government colleges in the first phase, while allotments in the second phase rose by 37% compared with the corresponding period last year.
The surge coincides with a major expansion of the Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programme (AEDP), one of the state’s flagship initiatives aimed at improving employability through industry-integrated learning.
The programme has been expanded from 24 to 96 government colleges this academic year, increasing intake capacity to 11,000 seats. The department has also formalised 117 MoUs with industry partners.
Student response has been strong, with AEDP enrolments rising by 70% across the first two phases of counselling. A total of 2,886 students have enrolled in apprenticeship-linked courses covering healthcare, information technology, pharmaceuticals, tourism, electronics, banking and finance.
The department has also introduced 10 new courses in emerging fields such as semiconductors and robotics, which have recorded a 92% admission rate.
Commissioner of Collegiate Education A Sridevasena said the state has signed MoUs with more than 100 industries, academic institutions and Sector Skill Councils to embed internships, apprenticeships, entrepreneurship and skill development into mainstream higher education.
Among the key initiatives, the Cyient Foundation has committed `7.5 crore over the next three years to support entrepreneurship programmes, startup incubation centres and hackathons in government colleges and polytechnics. Students enrolled in apprenticeship-linked courses will receive stipends, while faculty members will undergo industry-oriented training.
The department has also launched a Faculty Development and Curriculum Modernisation initiative. As many as 110 Faculty Development Programmes will be conducted to train over 1,600 faculty members in emerging industrial practices. Nearly 180 industry-aligned subjects will be introduced in government college curricula from the current academic year.
A key reform is the introduction of a full academic year of hands-on industrial training for third-year students to ensure graduates acquire practical workplace skills before completing their degrees.
Officials said the reforms are aligned with Telangana’s Vision 2047 and aimed at making graduates job-ready.
