With two major Central institutions in its kitty, Guntur district has shot into prominence again. Once a popular destination for higher education, the district, over the years, has lagged behind, with most corporate educational institutions setting up their corporate offices in Hyderabad.
Post-bifurcation, the district has bagged two Central institutions, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Agricultural University, for which the foundation stones have already been laid.
The new Agricultural University in Andhra Pradesh will come up on the vast tracts of land abutting the Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Lam on the Guntur-Amaravathi Road. The Lam premises is housed in 419 acres. There is a chunk of 291 acres of government land and 128 acres at Amaravathi. The total extent of land available is 900 acres.
RARS was established at Lam, a village named after a Buddhist monk named Lamas, in the year 1922 along with the Buffalo Research Station in an area of 300 acres of reserve forest land allotted by the government. Both the research stations functioned as a single unit till 1928.
And, as the year came to a close, the foundation stone for a 960-bed All India Institute of Medical Sciences was laid on December 19 at Mangalagiri. AIIMS will be constructed in 193 acres, and once the project is over, it will be one of the largest of its kind. Apart from providing premium tertiary medical care, AIIMS will have 100 MBBS seats, providing a rare opportunity for students to pursue medical education.
