Telangana panel to propose JNTU, Osmania as model universities
HYDERABAD: A core group on infrastructure, constituted by the state government to draft the “Telangana Education Policy”, will recommend that JNTU Hyderabad and Osmania University be developed as model universities in the first phase. The panel is expected to propose an allocation of ₹200 crore each over three years for modernisation of campus infrastructure.
Panel likely to seek modernisation funds for both universities
Officials said the recommendations follow the chief minister Revanth Reddy’s directive to design a Telangana-specific education policy on the lines of the National Education Policy. The government has already appointed K. Keshava Rao as adviser and committee chairman, and formed 11 core groups to prepare sector-wise reports.
The infrastructure group, headed by Akunoori Murali, has held multiple meetings and is preparing to submit its report this week.
Universities to get redesigned campuses, foreign-student facilities
The group is likely to recommend that the two universities be upgraded to meet national and international standards. It proposes redesigning the campuses on the model of Cambridge and Stanford.
For foreign students, it suggests dedicated hostels and counselling units in the model universities. It also calls for a high-level advisory panel at the state level to coordinate with international experts and study educational infrastructure in the UK, Singapore and Thailand.
Perimeter walls, wellness rooms and green campuses planned
The group will seek perimeter walls around all government universities on the lines of central universities. Each university should set up an infrastructure development committee chaired by its vice-chancellor.
Every major educational institution must establish a childcare centre for staff children. All campuses should be developed as green spaces.
To support student health, the panel proposes mandatory wellness rooms in every hostel, along with facilities for basketball, kabaddi and badminton.
Land norms proposed for colleges and schools
For undergraduate and postgraduate colleges, the report recommends three acres in urban areas and six acres in rural areas.
For schools, it suggests three to four acres for 1,500 students in urban locations and four to five acres in rural areas. All schools should have computer, AI, skills, tinkering and practical labs, along with digital libraries.
