Demand for abolition of APPGCET intensifies
Student unions staging a dharna before SV University administrative building in Tirupati on Monday
Tirupati : The demand for abolishing the AP Post Graduate Common Entrance Test (APPGCET) for postgraduate admissions in state universities is gaining momentum, with several student organisations staging a massive protest in front of the Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) Administrative Building here on Monday.
The protesting students urged education minister Nara Lokesh to immediately scrap APPGCET and fulfil his pre-election promise. They warned that if their demands were not met, they would escalate their agitation by laying siege to the State Assembly under the leadership of various student unions.
Introduced by the YSRCP government from the 2020-21 academic year, APPGCET has significantly reduced university admissions, with some courses registering single-digit enrolments or none at all. Prior to its introduction, individual universities conducted their own entrance exams, and students were admitted based on their rankings.
Protesters argue that reverting to the old system would benefit students, allowing them to secure seats in their preferred universities rather than being allotted seats in distant institutions, which imposes financial and logistical burdens on them.
Student unions have been demanding to reinstate university-specific entrance tests. The Monday protest at SVU was led by PDSO leader Asha, with hundreds of students participating.
Leaders from AISF, SFI, NSUI, AISA, NLSA, GNS, and BC SVU student unions voiced their concerns, emphasising that APPGCET is pushing students away from higher education.
They noted that for over 10 days, students across the state have been fighting for the test’s abolition. They accused the government of betraying students by not honouring its pre-election promises regarding PG entrance examinations.
Since the introduction of APPGCET citing NEP-2020, between 2021 and 2024, university admissions have dropped by 30 to 40 per cent, leaving several departments with vacant seats.
They also criticised the recent notification by the Higher Education Council, which confirmed the continuation of APPGCET in its current form. They demanded immediate action to reinstate individual university entrance tests and protect state universities from further decline.
The protest saw participation from student leaders Bandi Chalapathi, Akbar, Mallikarjun, Tirumalesh, Ranjith Kumar among others.