Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh bifurcation has a huge impact on the students from the residuary state pursuing education in Dr B R Ambedkar Open University located in Hyderabad. The Hyderabad-based university stopped admission to AP students from the academic year 2024-25 as 10 years have completed since division of the state.

Students, who wish to pursue degree or PG in Dr B R Ambedkar University are unable to get admission. On the other hand, the open universities in Andhra Pradesh do not have standards on par with BRAOU located in Hyderabad.

The BRAOU is one of the biggest open universities in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and around 30,000 students from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions used to study in it. Due to lack of alternative university, the AP students are now facing difficult situation. The old students who got admissions before 2024-25 are able to continue their studies.

Staff working at clerical level in BRAOU centres in AP are getting salaries only after being certified by the head office located in Hyderabad. Since January, the certification is getting delayed.

The successive governments in Andhra Pradesh government have not taken steps to set up a big open university in Andhra Pradesh even after 10 years of the partition of the state. The faculty of the Dr B R Ambedkar University and staff are asking the AP government to allot campus and funds at the Acharya Nagarjuna University so that the activities of Dr B R Ambedkar University in Andhra Pradesh can be continued.

Many students belonging to middle class and below middle class families can’t attend the regular classes in colleges and universities due to financial constraints or other reasons. These students can pursue education in open universities and get degree or PG certificates.

Now, the students and parents are demanding the government to set up one big open university in AP too with the name of Dr

B R Ambedkar or any other leader. But, no progress has been made in this regard in 10 years.

Dr B R Ambedkar Open University Andhra Pradesh OSD Velaga Joshi submitted a representation to Telangana State Council of Higher Education chairman V Balakista Reddy requesting him to address the problems faced by the staff of BRAOU working in Andhra Pradesh and students. Joshi said the salaries are pending to the staff and requested Balakista Reddy to take steps to release the salaries.

In a press release on Sunday, Joshi said Balakista Reddy had assured to release the salaries and also promised to speak to his counterpart the chairman of the AP State Council of Higher Education to resolve the pending issues of Dr B R Ambedkar Open University.

Joshi said if a campus is allotted in Acharya Nagarjuna University, an open university can be developed in Andhra Pradesh too to cater the needs of the AP students. He said campus can be gradually developed with the fee paid by the students studying in open university.

He said he had submitted representations to the higher officials in the education department and they responded positively on establishing an open university to help the students in the state.