Quality education for all is our aim, says A.P. HRD Minister Nara Lokesh

Minister for Human Resource Development and IT and Electronics Nara Lokesh on November 7 (Thursday) encouraged students to pursue advanced studies, emphasising the crucial role of higher education in shaping the future.

Addressing students at the first International Higher Education Fair (IHEF-2024), organised by VIT-AP University on its campus, the Minister highlighted the Andhra Pradesh government’s commitment to ensuring access to quality education for all.

He said that the government was aiming to transform A.P. into one of the top States for higher education, as part of the Centre’s ‘Vikasit Bharat-2047’ initiative. He commended the efforts of VIT-AP in making higher education more accessible to students across the State. He interacted with all the foreign universities delegates who participated in the fair and enquired about various courses details.

The event brought together prestigious educational institutions from abroad to showcase graduate, research and professional study programmes. It provided students with a unique opportunity to explore global academic opportunities, interact with international university representatives, and gain insights into scholarships and financial aid options available for higher education abroad. Over 50 universities from USA, France, Australia, Canada and Germany participated in the fair.

Founder and chancellor of VIT G. Viswanathan said the governments must allocate more funds for higher education, noting that the National Education Policy (NEP-2020) recommends that 6% of the GDP be dedicated to this sector. He further pointed out that developed countries invest 5-6% of their GDP in higher education, underscoring the need for similar investment to ensure quality education and foster development. “As a leading institution in higher education, VIT-AP University is committed to providing its students with world-class opportunities. The IHEF-2024 underscores our dedication to academic excellence and global collaboration,” he said.

Vice presidents of VIT Sankar Viswanathan and Sekar Viswanathan, vice-chancellor of VIT-AP University S.V. Kota Reddy, registrar Jagadish Chandra Mudiganti, director IR, VIT, deputy director-IR Debajit Goswami and assistant directors of VIT-AP Sunny Dayal and J. Sudhakar were present.

Published - November 07, 2024 08:05 pm IST