AP govt not to allow new engineering colleges

Andhra Pradesh government has decided not to permit opening of new engineering colleges or increase in the existing number of seats anymore.

The state cabinet that met here this evening under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy accepted the recommendations of a high-powered expert committee appointed in 2010 to suggest modalities and remedial measures for strengthening un-aided (private) professional institutions.

A senior minister said after the meeting that there were 716 engineering colleges in the state with an intake of 3,44,986, up from 238 colleges (82,225 intake) in 2004-05.

"In 2010-11, approximately 30 per cent of the engineering seats remained vacant while in the current academic year nearly 50 per cent seats were not filled. In addition, the increased number of engineering colleges has put enormous strain on the availability of qualified teaching manpower,thus affecting the quality of education and employability," an official note said.

Therefore, the state government requested the All India Council of Technical Education not to sanction second shift of sections in the existing engineering colleges.

Also, the state government decided to recommend to AICTE imposition of ceiling on the number of seats in under-graduate engineering, MBA and MCA courses, as per the recommendations of the expert committee.

Setting up of new colleges will, however, be permitted in districts like Adilabad, Mahbubnagar, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram where "accessibility" is relatively less.
Such colleges have to be set up by industry/ national laboratories, state and Central governments and charitable trusts and societies.