Despite government push…Varsities in TG grapple to meet global standards

Hyderabad: Although the state government has been emphasizing the need to adopt global standards in higher education, the stark reality in state universities mirrors a contrasting picture. Despite repeated calls for international recognition, faculty members at institutions such as Osmania University and Kakatiya University are struggling to publish their research in reputed international journals.

A senior official from Osmania University told ‘The Hans India’ that the global standing of universities is determined largely by the quality of research published in international journals. “Barring a few journals of repute in science and technology, India has very few international-standard journals listed in global databases. This forces faculty to aim for Q1 and Q2 journals abroad,” the official amplified. However, the major deterrent lies in the steep processing fees demanded by many international journals over the past five to six years, ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh. This financial burden has discouraged faculty from pursuing publication, widening the gap between state universities and central institutions on this vital front.

The Vice Chancellor of a state university highlighted three critical factors behind the lack of global visibility: large-scale faculty vacancies, inadequate research facilities, and insufficient funding from successive state governments. In contrast, central universities and national institutions, with relatively better resources and funding sources, have successfully published in Q1 and Q2 journals, enhancing their global reputation.

Osmania University Vice Chancellor Prof. Kumar Molugaram stated that efforts are under way to improve facilities, citing Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s recent Rs 1,000-crore package to modernise university infrastructure. The university is prepared to fund publication fees. However, the faculty must come forward.

Officials at Kakatiya University admit that faculty response has been unsatisfactory. Faulty interest in publishing and in competing with their counterparts in the universities in other countries is low, particularly in social sciences and humanities, compared to science and engineering.

Similarly, Dr Raji Reddy Danda, Vice Chancellor of Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University, emphasised that while researchers in agriculture, horticulture, and veterinary sciences conduct impactful studies, the culture of publishing in international journals is yet to take root in state universities.

He stressed that adopting such practices would not only enhance global standing but also bring international attention to local research issues, fostering collaborations and solutions. Thus, for Telangana to achieve global visibility in research publications, the challenge lies in accessing government promises through effective faculty participation.