AP Governor hails NEP; directs state universities to push full steam ahead with its implementation

Andhra Pradesh's Governor, Biswabhusan Harichandan, has said that the state is committed to the implementation of the National Education Policy. He was speaking at the third installation of the conference of Vice-Chancellors of State Universities at the Durbar Hall in Raj Bhavan, Vijayawada on Thursday, May 5. 

The Governor, who is the Chancellor of all state universities, was all praise for NEP 2020 and said that it aims to "fulfil human potential, develop an equitable and just society through promotion of national development, universal accessibility and a focus on quality education". He added that Andhra Pradesh had initiated several reforms in the higher education sector in the state, in accordance with the NEP, which proposes key changes in the higher education system with a push towards multidisciplinary education, faculty and institutional autonomy, revamping curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, and student support, reaffirming the integrity of faculty and institutional leadership. He said that the move towards these changes is being undertaken in a systematic manner for both engineering and conventional degree programmes.

He pointed out that Andhra Pradesh was the first state in country to introduce the Four Year Degree Programme (FYUP) with research as a part of the course, from the academic year 2020-21. Governor Harichandan said the establishment of a State Research Board to develop a research eco-system and to promote qualitative research in universities and colleges was a step in the right direction and put the onus on the Vice-Chancellors to devise appropriate strategies, including exploring possibilities of collaboration with industry, research institutes of national and international importance and on building research infrastructure.

The event was attended by Vice-Chancellors of 23 state universities who attended the conference and made a presentation on the development activities of their respective universities and briefed the Governor and the Chancellor on their future development plans.