Speakers at a roundtable on ‘Saving Public Universities in Anantapur’ organised by the Students Federation of India (SFI) appealed to State government to immediately focus on reviving the glory of three public universities in Anantapur district in a time-bound manner.
Retired Principal Chandrasekhar expressed dismay at the crass neglect shown by the State government in filling the teaching posts both in Sri Krishnadevaraya University and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University and questioned the government as to how did they think that quality of pedagogy would improve if there were no teachers and students’ welfare was not cared for.
At the SKU in place of 220 sanctioned strength of teaching staff. only 84 lecturers and professors were there and a severe shortage was there in all the faculties. The condition of JNTU was worse as it had lost the NAAC Accreditation due to lack of teaching staff (only 63 teachers were managing the show in place of 183 sanctioned). Four departments did not have the NBA certification and without the NAAC accreditation the University Grants Commission’s funds were not coming properly. Out of ₹74 crore grant that was to be given to the JNTUA only ₹35 crore was sanctioned, said the SFI State president Kasapuram Ramesh.
Referring to the recent agitations in Central University at Anantapur and JNTU by the students seeking lowering of mess charges and cut in tuition fee, the UTF district secretary Ramanayya said that enough focus was not there from the Higher Education Department on the basic amenities in the hostels and library for the students, while the Central University was lacking most of the amenities and buildings.
