Tirupati: Temple city to get Skills varsity

Tirupati: The state government has laid a big step forward by deciding to establish a 'Skills University' at Tirupati. This move will make available the skilled workforce to the industries setting base in AP according to their requirements.

The temple city, apart from being a world-renowned religious centre, is touted as an educational hub. It is home to several universities, including the only women's university in Telugu speaking states and not to mention the national institutes of excellence – IIT and IISER besides the newly upgraded National Sanskrit University.

Now, it is going to cement the distinction with the new addition of Skills University adding a new feather in its cap.

The decision to set up the Skills University was announced in the state budget for 2020-21 presented in the Assembly on Tuesday by the Finance Minister B Rajendranath.

He stated that the government has taken up an industry skill gap analysis to identify skills required by various industries, availability of manpower and procedures for imparting training in required skills which will simultaneously increase employment opportunities to local people.

Accordingly, the minister proposed to set up the university at Tirupati and 30 'Skill Colleges,' one in each parliamentary constituency, one each in 4 IIITs and one at JNTU Pulivendula.

"The government is creating avenues for jobs through industrial and infrastructure development through industrial and infrastructure development and has enacted 'The Andhra Pradesh Employment of Local Candidates in the Industries / Factories Act, 2019', for providing 75 per cent of jobs to local people," said the Minister.

An allocation of Rs 856.62 crore was made in the budget for 2020-21 to this sector. With the formal announcement and the required allocations are made by the government, the stage has been now shifted to Tirupati to complete the formalities to lay the foundation stone for another university at the abode of Lord Venkateswara which may happen anytime during this fiscal.

As a prelude, an experts committee has identified two sites in and around Tirupati during this January. A 130-acre site was identified at Kobaka near Srikalahasti while another 85-acre site is selected near Agriculture University College in the city.

The government has selected the one at Agriculture University College following which the district collector has reportedly sent the proposals to the government. The formalities are expected to take momentum with the announcement in the budget.