Education Minister Nara Lokesh addressing a review meeting at his Undavalli residence near Vijayawada on Friday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Minister for Education Nara Lokesh on Friday directed universities and Vice-Chancellors to ensure complete transparency in the recruitment of faculty across the State.Addressing a review meeting attended by senior officials of the Departments of Higher Education and Skill Development at his Undavalli residence near here, the Minister stressed that the recruitment of Associate Professors, Assistant Professors and Lecturers should be conducted in a fair, transparent and fool-proof manner. He warned that strict action would be taken against those responsible if any irregularities or allegations arise during the recruitment process.Officials informed Mr. Lokesh that 1,90,509 applications had been received for faculty positions across various universities, of which 1,51,836 applications were found eligible. Grievances relating to eligibility will be accepted until July 21, and the final list of eligible candidates will be released on July 27.Mr. Lokesh instructed the officials to ensure that the interview process was also conducted with complete transparency and without any scope for malpractice.He reviewed the approval process for new private universities and the progress of admissions through various entrance tests. He directed the officials to complete admissions on schedule and emphasised that UGC norms must be strictly followed while granting approvals to private universities.1.37 lakh get placements in job melasSpeaking to the officials of the Skill Development Department, Mr. Lokesh said that 1.37 lakh youth had secured employment through job melas conducted across the State so far. He directed officials to make these job fairs more accessible to young job seekers.He wanted the officials to link every ITI in the State with industries to enhance youth employability and bridge the skill gap. He emphasised the need to prepare a skilled workforce to meet the requirements of upcoming industries. Officials informed him that 81 Industry-Academia Partnerships had been operationalised for this purpose. Officials also said that designs had been prepared for constructing National Academy of Construction (NAC) training centres in all 23 district headquarters at an estimated cost of ₹94 crore.Skill PassportMr. Lokesh directed the officials to make the ‘Naipunyam' portal more user-friendly and launch it next month. Officials explained that the portal would provide students, from their first year of higher education onwards, with career guidance, information on employment opportunities, and details of the skills required for various jobs based on their enrolment. Every student would receive a digital Skill Passport through the portal to track and showcase their skills.The Minister instructed officials to ensure that every student graduating from college was equipped with employable skills and had access to placement opportunities. He also directed that placement cells be established in all 169 Government Degree Colleges across the State.Higher Education Commissioner Narayana Bharat Gupta, Skill Development CEO Ganesh Kumar, SEEDAP CEO Narayana Swamy, APSCHE Vice-Chairman S. Vijay Bhaskar and other senior officials attended the meeting. Published - July 17, 2026 07:55 pm IST
