AU, ANU, SVU vie for Central Varsity status

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Centre's promise to set up a central university in the state, as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, has kick started a race amongst the top state universities seeking the central university status.

Andhra University (AU) of Visakhapatnam, Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) of Guntur and Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) of Tirupati have thrown their hats in, competing with each other for the coveted status.

The issue came up for discussion during the vice-chancellors' meeting held at Andhra University (AU) Saturday and Sunday where all the three varsities presented their case before human resource development minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) chairman L Venugopal Reddy and other senior officials of the higher education department.

All the three universities have already made an appeal to the HRD ministry to accord the status to them and reports to this effect were submitted to the authorities concerned for consideration.

A senior official of AU said that all these universities are, under the existing circumstances, in a financial crisis and the AU alone is facing a fiscal deficit of over `118 crore during the current academic year.

'Unlike the state universities, which get meagre funds from the state government, a central university gets adequate funding from the Union government. Besides getting better infrastructure, the staff also will get pay scales on par with the Central government institutions, enabling the university to appoint more staff,' said the official.

Considering all these factors, the authorities from all three varsities are leaving no stone unturned to obtain the central university status.

Vice-chancellors GSN Raju (AU), K Viyanna Rao (ANU) and W Rajendra (SVU) presented the status report of their respective universities during the vice-chancellors' meeting and batted for according the central university status for their respective universities.

AU vice-chancellor GSN Raju is confident over getting the central status for the varsity as it is the oldest and largest one among the universities existing in the state with well-established infrastructure and research facilities besides having scope for expansion.

ANU vice-chancellor Viyanna Rao told that the university has put forth its case before the government earlier and took up the same during the university vice-chancellors' meeting. He pointed out that ANU is geographically centrally located and can cater for both rural and urban students.

SVU vice-chancellor W Rajendra is learnt to have explained at the meeting that the central university status for the varsity will not only provide better education for rural students but also spur growth in the backward region of Rayalaseema.

Meanwhile, all the universities have been asked to submit a report on their strengths and requirements to the state government at the earliest and were assured that a final decision will be taken only after examining all possible options.

Sources said that the state government is contemplating establishing the central university in Rayalaseema, but a final decision is yet to be taken. Besides, it is not clear whether an existing university will be upgraded or a new campus will be set up for the central university.

Interestingly, though they are claiming the stake for the central status separately, all three varsities are unanimous in arguing that it is wise to upgrade an existing university into a central university than establishing a new one, as both the Central and state governments are facing fiscal problems.