Students protest, flag poor infra at Andhra University; VC assures ‘phased repairs’

On Wednesday, students from Andhra University (AU) staged a protest against long-standing infrastructure issues on campus, led by the Students Federation of India (SFI). Vice-Chancellor G.P. Raja Sekhar met with the delegation the same day and promised a phased repair and modernization plan. Heavy rains caused water seepage and plaster falling from ceilings in 18 to 20 rooms of the Satavahana Hostel, where Arts College students reside. Students were unable to sleep peacefully due to the constant risk of plaster falling.

SFI vice-president Tarun criticized the university's hostel development fee of ₹5,500 per year, alleging that about ₹3,200 of it was diverted to pay daily-wage workers instead of being used for actual development. G. Ajay, SFI district secretary for Visakhapatnam, reported that washrooms in several hostels and departments, including Chemistry, remained unusable despite multiple complaints to the Registrar.

Poor street lighting on campus roads also posed a safety risk, especially for women students walking between hostels and the library at night.

Quantum engineering student Pragathi highlighted hygiene and food quality concerns at women's hostels Maharani Peta, Nagarjuna, and Vidya Tarangini, with insufficient and unhygienic washrooms and stale food served. In response, Raja Sekhar assured that hostels, mess halls, and toilets would be modernized in a phased manner, with affected Satavahana Hostel students already moved to lower floor rooms.

Campus electrification commenced to address lighting issues, while road repairs would begin this week, delayed by raw material shortages and repeated tendering processes. The Vice-Chancellor announced plans to build separate male and female hostels with capacities of 1,100 and 900, respectively, along with a "mega mess".