A total of 400 colleges more than required : Papi Reddy

Nalgonda: Telangana State Council of Higher Education, Professor T Papi Reddy informed that merger of private degree and PG colleges in places where they could not meet the required strength was being examined by the State government to improve quality of education and also check the unethical practices of managements.

Addressing a media conference after attending a programme in Mahatma Gandhi University at Yallareddy Gudem, Papi Reddy said that the major feedback of DOST Online was that out of 4.10 lakh seats in the university affiliated colleges, 1.80 lakh seats were vacant due to lack of students. Reminding that there were 1,100 universities’ affiliated degree and PG colleges in the state, he said the number of colleges was higher than required, and 400 colleges were in excess of the requirement. To attract students to colleges, the managements were indulging in unethical practices which needs to be checked immediately to improve the quality of education, he added.

“Zero admissions were reported in 55 colleges, less than 20 percent admissions in 150 colleges and fifty percent of colleges were functioning with students less than half of the total seats,” he added.

Stating that the merger of the affiliated colleges would financially benefit the managements of the colleges, which were struggling for survival due to lack of students, he informed that exercise for merger of the private colleges would begin from February, 2018. The government would provide the opportunity to the managements of the private colleges running in a place as per their wish, he added.

He reminded that earlier Y S Rajasekhar Reddy government sanctioned several degree and PG colleges without providing even land, buildings and staff when injustice to Telangana in the setting up of colleges was highlighted during Telangana agitation. He accepted that such colleges were lacked of minimum facilities and running in the buildings of junior colleges. The government was now focused on these colleges to provide infrastructure in them, he added.

He has also told that the state government was also taking measures for universities-industries linkage to provide internship and jobs facilities to the students. Setting up of a state level institute to provide training to the faculty to upgrade their skills was under active consideration of the state government. Best Research Awards would also be introduced in the state to encourage the research scholars, he maintained.

When questioned on the irregularities taken place in recruitment of faculty in Mahatma Gandhi University, he replied that Tirumala Rao Committee on the issue was already submitted its report to him and the same was presented to the State government.