Andhra Pradesh Government’s Vision 2020 document is aimed at making the State the educational capital of India by establishing 15 unique educational institutions through affiliation to premier universities across the world, HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao has said.
In a prepared speech readout at the four-day national seminar on Gandhi’s concepts on rural development and education, which began here at GITAM University on Wednesday, he spelt out efforts being made to reform higher education in the State.
He said that they were trying to promote centres of excellence mainly in the areas of IT, medicine, construction, horticulture, management education, biotechnology and pharmaceutical research.
Disclosing that they were contemplating amending Andhra Pradesh Act of 1982 to grant greater autonomy to universities, encourage private participation in higher education and render the managements of universities and colleges entirely accountable for their financial and other lapses.
Mr. Rao said that an expert committee would be set up explore different options to have model institutions, adding they would undertake administrative reforms in university administration to ensure their total accountability without encroaching their autonomy.
During next five years, he said that they would follow a curriculum model in the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi. “This would be two-pronged. First, it involves emphasis on skill development dovetailing learning and doing. Second it emphasises the intrinsic connection between classrooms and community,” he stated.
The Minister said that they would have a professional body for employment-oriented education and manpower research and planning. It was proposed to set up administrative standards for educational institutions and to create accreditation and other education systems within the State to ensure quality education.
He said that the State would play a proactive role in identifying emerging areas of economic importance and in upgrading curricula and improving teacher training. They would make private sector a partner in promoting higher education.
National Council of Rural Institutes chairman P. Durga Prasad, GITAM University Chancellor K. Ramakrishna Rao, Vice-Chancellor G. Subrahmanyam and others spoke.
