Telangana, Andhra Pradesh universities lagging in innovation

Hyderabad: State universities in the two Telugu states are struggling to streamline the innovation, development and entrepreneurship among the students.

It may be mentioned here that the AICTE has asked the faculty and students of the universities and colleges to chip in with innovative ideas to develop alternative applications, products and technologies.

The circular of the AICTE has come against the backdrop of the Centre banning several Chinese mobile applications. The AICTE said, "the recent border turmoil, additionally, has forced the nation, as a whole, to introspect about the alternatives and to avoid dependence on other nations about our needs and requirements."

It further appreciated the achievement that one of the glowing examples is the manufacturing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and N95 masks. The country was dependent on imports for these items. The COVID-19 pandemic made us not only become self-reliant, but also to export them. Thus, a crisis has been turned into an opportunity. It urged the universities and colleges to encourage teachers and students for development of alternative apps, products and technologies through innovative ideas and research. To make the country not only self-reliant but also propel India to the forefront as the 'primary source' for meeting all global needs and requirements.

It highlighted that the AICTE-approved universities and institutions have done phenomenally well during the pandemic in making PPES, sanitizers, face masks, ventilators, and Apps. For which, it has instituted an award for such well-performing higher educational institutions in the form of Utkrusht Sansthan Vishwakarma Award.

However, none of the State universities in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh could come up with any innovative alternatives like their counterparts.

Speaking to The Hans India, Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APCHE), Chairman, Prof K Hemachandra Reddy said, the participation of students in a series of hackathons shows that they are bubbling with innovative ideas. All the universities in the State have 24/7 centralised computer centres open for students. Their operations might have disrupted due to Covid for the last couple of months. However, there are other actors like faculty and students to team up to show consistency in the students experimenting and exploring and incubating their ideas, he added.

JNTU-H also has its own round-the-clock computer centre open for students. However, the momentum is not as expected. The university develops its own products in-house for examination branch and to handle the online evaluation process. But, to develop products and tools of commercial value needs industrial standards. For which, the students are not getting enough guidance needed. Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE), Chairman Prof T Papi Reddy stressed the need for proactiveness among the faculty and students.

Expressing a similar view, Osmania University Vice-Chancellor Prof S Ramachandram said it was to give opportunities to students that the university is going to come up with its own Technology Business Incubator (TBI). Both the students and faculty should make use of such assets to innovate and come up with products and tools.