The AP Reorganisation Bill has proposed setting up of a Central University in the State. It should be done, but at the same time upgrading the existing 80-year-old university like AU, will benefit all stake holders, said Vice-Chancellor of AU G.S.N. Raju.
Giving reasons, he said, “AU is severely cash-strapped, the development activities have almost come to a standstill and there is a huge shortage of faculty. By upgrading the university to Central University, the government will save the university from dying a slow death,” said the V-C.
According to him there is no harm in setting up a separate Central University in some other place at the same time.
“A State can have more than one Central institute,” he said.
He said, to set-up a Central University, one needs an allocation of at least Rs. 10,000 crore, excluding the cost of the land.
“But a mere Rs. 500 crore, annual sanction to AU, would be sufficient to run it like a Central University,” he said.
The Central government has in principle sanctioned a Central University for Andhra Pradesh, it is now up to the State government to identify the land and start building the university.
Prof. Raju said, it takes a minimum of 20 to 30 years to shape up a new university. “While that can happen simultaneously, AU is a readymade option to begin with. With the sanction of Rs. 500 crore we can build new hostels, repair the existing ones, remove the obsolete furniture and system and give a complete new look to the university. But this rationale has to be marketed by the political leaders,” he said.
When nothing is coming up here, so why not push AU’s case forward, pointed out Prof. Raju.
