Vijayawada: President of Andhra Pradesh Technical and Professional Institutions Employees Association (APTPIEA) Dr MV Brahmananda Reddy said recently allegations surfaced regarding corruption in the process of obtaining National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) rankings by several engineering colleges across the state.

He said reports suggest that college managements are bribing NAAC inspection teams to secure favorable rankings. He said recently a bribe case was surfaced in a reputed university in Guntur district where the officials are probing the allegations.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, Brahmananda Reddy said not just one university but several other private colleges in the state are also allegedly adopting similar methods to secure NAAC rankings. By obtaining good rankings through unethical means, these colleges aim to gain the trust of students. Ignoring examination standards, faculty resources, and educational quality, these institutions are resorting to bribery to secure high rankings, which is severely undermining the integrity of the education system. This practice is causing genuine institutions with high standards to suffer.

In this context, educationists, student organisations, and parents are demanding that the minister for HRD Nara Lokesh should pay special attention on this issue.

He said the parents and students are calling for a comprehensive inquiry into the NAAC ranking process and a re-evaluation of colleges that have already received rankings. The APTPIEA Association has appealed for strict action against college managements involved in corruption. To address this issue, the association president, Dr. Brahmananda Reddy, has suggested that the government should form an impartial inquiry committee and probe the allegations.

He has recommended that a list of colleges that obtained accreditation through bribes be made public, and their recognition be revoked if necessary. He emphasised the need for a thorough review to ensure that genuine educational standards are being maintained in colleges.