Top institutions may consider setting up campuses in State

Telangana State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act 2018 comes into force

With the Telangana State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act 2018 coming into force now, the government expects at least four or five universities to set up their campuses here.

The Bill was passed in March 2018 but the government has given the orders effecting its validity from July 15. Though new campuses may not be set up in this academic year since the classes are soon to begin, officials say they have positive feelers from a few private universities in Tamil Nadu and a couple of them from north India.

Some of these varsities have already started their campuses in Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh after the government there passed the private universities bill three years ago in a bid to attract them. The government is confident that they would want their campuses in Telangana too, given the brand name of Hyderabad.

Moreover, Telugu states are the biggest catchment area for not only Tamil Nadu-based universities like VIT, Shashtra or SRM but also for north-based universities like the Lovely Professional University (LPU). In fact, LPU has a huge concentration of Telugu students and Hyderabad may be one of the best options for them to set up a new campus, agrees a senior official.

TSCHE Chairman T. Papi Reddy says nearly 90% of higher education is already in the private sector and the entry of private universities will depend on how students receive them here, given the huge fee they charge compared to private technical colleges here. Fee may not be a big factor for serious students as thousands of Telugu students, over the years, have been preferring TN-based universities and northern ones too, agrees another official. But Prof. Reddy says the government prefers some top-class institutions to set up their campuses here. The city is already home to several such universities though in the form of deemed-to-be-universities.

25% for locals

Meanwhile, the government has decided to reserve 25% of seats in private universities exclusively for students of Telangana on the basis of their domicile status. At the same time, the private universities will be given full autonomy for starting various academic programmes and also admission process.

Another key factor in the bill is that these varsities will be unitary in nature without provision to affiliate and recognise any colleges or institutions to them. Initially, they have to start with a single campus but the government under exceptional circumstances may permit two additional campuses or centres. The sponsoring body will have to establish an Endowment Fund.

The Bill says that the private universities have to obtain accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) within five years from the commencement of the programmes.