Vijayawada: Teaching faculty of state-owned universities in Andhra Pradesh are raising concern over state government adopting a discriminatory process of admissions into post-graduate colleges of the state.
All admissions into PG courses, whether offered by government or private colleges, are through the Andhra Pradesh Post-Graduate Common Entrance Test – 2022. AP PGCET is being conducted for the second consecutive year this year.
The previous year’s experience shows that a good number of students hailing from BC, SC, ST and minority communities are unwilling to take PG admissions, whether M.A, M. Com or M. Sc. in a far off place if they do not get admission in the PG course offered by the nearest state university.
Thus, despite having to pay a higher fee, they are joining private-run colleges, which are offering them spot admissions.
Normally, the state universities charge ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 for regular PG courses per annum, but private colleges charge ₹20,000 or more. Still students are preferring to join private colleges, as they are offering them spot admissions. State university colleges, however, do not have the facility of offering spot admissions.
All Universities Contract Assistant Professors Association state president Mall Bhaskar said, “We are opposing the lacunae in AP PGCET, where only private colleges are given spot admission facility, while it is denied for state university colleges. This is leading to intake of students gradually coming down. In the long run, this may lead to closure of PG courses in state universities, leading to teaching faculty losing their jobs. We want the state government to address this issue for the benefit of all,” Bhaskar observed.
The lacuna has come about because of the rules framed by AP State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE). It allows university-affiliated private aided and unaided colleges and minority educational institutions in the state to provide spot admission to students for pursuing PG courses.
APSCHE issued a letter last year itself for filling up all vacancies in private colleges through spot admission, with preference given to candidates who qualify in the AP PGCET, followed by non-AP APCET candidates.
The council also allowed private colleges to fill up seats meant for girls with boys in case girl candidates are not available.
Sources privy to the development say all state universities are unhappy about the deprival of spot admission facility to them.
Private colleges are benefitting financially, while state universities are suffering due to lack of admissions.
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