University faculty recruitment to be completed by April 2027: Nara Lokesh

Nara Lokesh, the Minister for Human Resource Development, announced on Saturday that the recruitment of university faculty, including professors, associate professors and assistant professors, will be finalized by April 2027. During a State-level Best Teacher Awards ceremony in Vijayawada, Lokesh emphasized the government's commitment to transparency and record-breaking performance, drawing parallels to the 14 District Selection Committee (DSC) exams conducted during Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's tenure that resulted in the recruitment of nearly two lakh teachers.

Lokesh highlighted teaching as a sacred responsibility, noting that children spend more time with teachers than at home, learning values, education and discipline from them. He cited A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, as an example of how practical teaching could inspire extraordinary achievements. The Minister outlined various reforms undertaken by the government, such as expanding the "One Class-One Teacher" model to 10,000 primary schools, cancelling GO 117, filling 16,000 teacher vacancies through Mega DSC, introducing a Teacher Transfer Act and seniority lists, revising the curriculum, and launching the LEAP app to address teachers' service-related matters.

He also revealed that 1.10 lakh students shifted from private schools to government schools this year, largely due to the efforts of teachers. The government is developing LEAP Model Schools and plans to establish such schools in every constituency. School education reforms are largely completed, and the government is now focusing on higher education and universities.

A unified university law is planned, and universities will be integrated with emerging sectors like space, drones, aquaculture, pharmaceuticals and data centres, alongside other industrial clusters. The government aims to make Andhra Pradesh the top State in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings, with politically neutral appointments of Vice-Chancellors and stronger academic calendars.

Lokesh urged teachers to pay close attention to students' mental well-being, emphasizing that every child's emotional state should be taken seriously. Failure should be viewed as a learning opportunity rather than the end of a student's future. He also addressed the issue of "No Admission" boards displayed at some government schools, stating that they showed the reforms were beginning to produce results.

The government will continue reviewing university courses, removing outdated programs and introducing courses aligned with modern technologies and industry needs.