Andhra Govt urged to appoint Vice-Chancellors to 17 State Universities

Representatives from the Andhra Pradesh unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Rashtriya Saikshik Maha Sangh (ABRSM) and the A.P. Degree College Teachers Association have called on the state's Higher Education Department officials to address the issues faced by teaching staff in Intermediate, Degree colleges, and universities.

The ABRSM State President Y.V. Ramireddy, General Secretary G. Ranganath, and the President of the Degree College Teachers Association, DSVS Balasubrahmanyam, presented their concerns to key education officials, including the in-charge Chairman of the A.P. State Council of Higher Education, Ramamohan Rao, Commissioner of Intermediate Education Kritika Shukla, Principal Secretary for Higher Education Kona Sashidhar, and Commissioner of Collegiate Education Pola Bhaskar. They urged these officials to take immediate action to resolve the challenges facing educators in the state.

In a related development, the Andhra Pradesh Higher Education Department has announced a notification inviting applications for vice-chancellor positions in 17 state universities. This marks the first time a large number of VC posts have been advertised simultaneously in the state, a significant change that follows the recent government transition, which resulted in the resignation of all current vice-chancellors.

Traditionally, vice-chancellors remained in their positions after a government change, but sources reveal that all VCs were requested to resign when the new government took office in June. As a result, most submitted their resignations, leaving a leadership vacuum across state universities. To mitigate this, the state government has appointed interim vice-chancellors.

Nearly 500 professors are expected to apply for the 17 VC positions, with many candidates hailing from Andhra University. The notification specifies that candidates must demonstrate high levels of competence, integrity, moral character, institutional commitment, and academic achievement, with a requirement of at least 10 years of experience as a professor in the university system, in line with UGC guidelines.

The appointment process for full-time vice-chancellors is anticipated to take several months. Search committees will be established for each university to review applications and create a shortlist of three candidates. These recommendations will then be sent to the government and the governor, who serves as the chancellor of the universities.

In recent years, some VCs appointed by the previous YSRCP government have faced allegations of partiality toward the party and failing to prioritize the universities' and students' interests. The opposition party, TDP, accused certain VCs of supporting YSRCP policies and misusing students for surveys and other purposes. Notably, Andhra University in Visakhapatnam, the state's largest and oldest university, has been at the center of disputes between YSRCP and TDP over various decisions and policy matters.

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