V-Cs’ of public varsities in A.P told to focus on reorientation of curricula, employability, research and global reach

Secretary of Higher Education directs State Universities to enhance academic standards, employability, and global competitiveness through various initiatives.

Secretary Department of Higher Education, Kona Sashidhar, on Wednesday directed Vice-Chancellors and Registrars of all State Universities to focus on improving academic and administrative standards across their respective institutions.

Speaking at a meeting organised by the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE), Mr. Sashidhar directed the Vice-Chancellors and Registrars to focus on reorientation of curricula, to enhance graduate employability in line with the market and social needs. He also asked the universities to mentor other institutions, including ITIs, polytechnics, professional colleges, and general degree colleges, to ensure cohesive development across the higher education spectrum.

He urged the Universities to function as skill clusters to address the diverse NSQF (National Skill Qualification Framework) levels, to provide seamless upskilling and reskilling opportunities, and enhance institutional visibility by maintaining comprehensive databases of all constituent and affiliated colleges under their jurisdiction.

The Council Chairman, K. Madhu Murthy, stressed the need for collaboration among universities to raise academic standards, strengthen institutional governance, and improve global competitiveness. He reviewed court cases related to faculty recruitment and pointed out that these legal issues were impeding faculty recruitment. He directed the universities to resolve these cases in coordination with legal and administrative departments to ensure timely and transparent recruitment without compromising on quality or statutory compliance.

On implementation of four-year UG Honours programmes with dual majors, he shared a detailed framework for the rollout of the programmes in line with NEP-2020, highlighting the introduction of dual majors as an innovative approach to foster inter-disciplinary learning.

The universities were advised to adopt a uniform curriculum framework for technical programmes offered by engineering institutions across the State and to implement the Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs) focussing on digital pedagogy and emerging technologies. Prof. Murthy said APSCHE would extend financial support to universities for organising FDPs.

Emphasis was also laid on the establishment of functional and dynamic Research Boards in every university to foster a strong research ecosystem, secure external funding, and promote high-quality publications. The Vice-Chancellors were encouraged to strengthen their international outreach, design foreign-student-friendly policies, and leverage platforms such as ‘Study in India’ to enhance global visibility and attract international students.