Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh (AP) Higher Education department on Friday issued a memo giving private state-aided educational institutions another chance to surrender their government aid, or to even undo any earlier decision to give up government funding.
The state government had earlier this year began taking over government-aided private colleges citing lack of quality education in spite of funding. According to the Higher Education department’s memo dated November 12, as many as 68.79 percent of the 2,249 educational institutions have either been entirely taken over with the assets, or have handed over all posts and administration sans the assets, making those private unaided institutions.
As per the AP government’s policy, willing private educational institutions can surrender the entire institution along with assets and the existing staff voluntarily, which will convert into government institutions without any liabilities and financial burden.
The AP government stated that in this regard, it has received an overwhelming response for the policy, as over 6600 staff (teaching and non-teaching) have now been absorbed as part of the process.
However, the institutions whose managements have not chosen either of the options or have not responded or submitted unwillingness for takeover in either form have been continued to exist as aided institutions, now have another chance to do so.
In AP, 702 institutions have remained to exist as aided institutions after the policy was announced. The AP government in its memo stated that there is no coercion and that the entire process is voluntary.