Another DSC soon to maintain proper teacher, student ratio: Lokesh

• Salary hike for Samagra Shiksha staff under consideration
• 100 per cent seasonal hostels to be sanctioned in Kurnool
• Rs. 74.5 cr needed to complete Cluster University works

Amaravati: IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh has told members of the State Legislative Assembly that another DSC notification will be issued soon to fill teacher posts, particularly in areas where the teacher-student ratio remains low.

Responding to questions raised by Etcherla MLA N Eswara Rao on Thursday, the Minister said the government is committed to strengthening the education system and addressing staff shortages. Although additional teacher posts were sanctioned to Kurnool district in the previous DSC, the teacher-student ratio there is still below the desired level. Hence, the upcoming DSC will focus on the Kurnool parliamentary constituency, he said.

Lokesh stated that proposals to increase salaries of teachers, DTP operators, and other members of staff working under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan scheme will be taken up at the forthcoming project approval board meeting. The matter will also be discussed with the Central government, as the scheme is centrally sponsored.

The IT Minister explained that 60 per cent of Samagra Shiksha funding comes from the Centre, while the remaining 40 percent is borne by the State. Therefore, any decision regarding salary revisions requires approval from the Union government. Salaries in Andhra Pradesh for Samagra Shiksha staff are currently higher than those in Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, he mentioned. Earlier, salaries were disbursed once every three months, but they are now being paid on the first of every month, he said. Responding to a request from Adoni MLA Parthasarathy, Lokesh assured that 100 per cent of the required seasonal hostels in Kurnool district would be sanctioned.

Addressing a separate question by Panyam MLA Gowru Charitha Reddy, the Minister said Rs. 139 crore has been sanctioned for the Kurnool Cluster University, of which Rs. 55 crore has already been spent under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme. An additional Rs. 74.5 crore is required to complete the pending works.

Lokesh stated that the government plans to complete the remaining construction in the next academic year. He emphasised that the State aims to develop programmes through a cluster-based approach with vertical and horizontal integration, creating a strong ecosystem for higher education and specialisation. The HRD Minister observed that, following the formation of the NDA coalition government, industrial investments have been increasing in the Kurnool parliamentary constituency and the cluster university will play a key role in supporting specialised courses and regional development. MLA Charitha Reddy said that after bifurcation, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had brought Silver Jubilee College, KVR Women’s Degree College and Government Degree College under one umbrella to establish the cluster university in Kurnool. She said that progress slowed during the previous YSRCP government’s tenure, leading to incomplete buildings and stalled works. She urged the government to expedite the construction and make the university operational at the earliest.