Rly team begins probe into Bokaro tragedy

Indicates that rumour of fire forced passengers to jump out.

Andhra University (AU) has staked its claim for upgradation to Central university status even as an appeal has been made to locate a university in Vizianagaram, once a great seat of learning in the State.

Disclosing this at a round-table meet on the `Future of North Andhra’, organised by Uttarandhra Journalists’ Front here on Monday, Andhra University Vice-Chancellor Prof G S N Rao said the AU had all requisite qualification to become a Central university. The AU comprises 75 departments and 11,000 students on the campus. “We are placed No. 1 in the entire country with a NAAC rating of 3.65 and are among the top ten with 5-star rating,” he said. “Education is key to development and as there is no national institution in the region, a Central university, IIT, IIM and other top institutions are badly needed in Vizag,” Rao noted and disclosed that he had met the Union Minister for HRD, MM Pallamraju, and fervently appealed to him for upgradation of AU, and the latter responded positively. Similarly, an AU delegation also called on the Minister for Transport, Botcha Satyanarayana, and the latter wondered what would happen to all the affiliated colleges of AU in that case. “We convinced him that a university could be set up in Vizianagaram as it is the only district without one in the State and all the affiliated colleges of AU could be linked to the new varsity. Some expressed doubts that once we are accorded Central status, we would lose some seats. But that can also be easily compensated,” Prof Raju said.

Also, local people would get job opportunities as non-teaching employees, he pointed out.