Lavu vows to secure UGC nod for open varsity at Eluru

Vijayawada: TDP MP and Parliamentary Party leader Lavu Srikrishna Devarayalu promised swift action to secure the necessary University Grants Commission (UGC) approvals for establishing the proposed Dr. BR Ambedkar Open University at Eluru. He stated he would write to the UGC immediately and personally follow up to expedite the process.

The MP’s assurance came after Dr Velaga Joshi, officer on special duty for the Open University, and Dr Subba Reddy, Rayalaseema University assistant registrar, met him in New Delhi on Friday. They briefed him on the pending formalities and submitted a report detailing the requirements for setting up the new university exclusively for Andhra Pradesh.

Following the state’s bifurcation, the existing Dr B R Ambedkar Open University functioned as a common institution for both Telugu states for 10 years. With this period over, the AP government ordered the establishment of a separate open university in Eluru.

However, the formal notification has been delayed due to technicalities and pending UGC amendments, even though the State Council of Higher Education has forwarded all information.

Nearly 40,000 students in the state rely on the open university for distance education annually. The absence of operational activity and stalled admissions have prevented thousands of students from continuing their studies, prompting the officials to seek the MP’s urgent intervention. Devarayalu assured them that he would prioritize the matter to ensure the university begins functioning soon.