Date:03/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/03/stories/2007120353320400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Knowledge tech varsity to be named after Rajiv

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The State Cabinet on Saturday decided to establish a Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies” to serve rural youth by offering them an integrated education programme in soft skills.

Headquartered at Hyderabad, it will function from the 2008-09 academic year in the public-private partnership mode.

It will have constituent institutes in all three regions of the State -- Basara in Adilabad district (Telangana), Nuzvid in Krishna (Coastal Andhra) and Idupulapaya in Kadapa (Rayalaseema). At Idupulapaya, the constituent institute will come up along with the 21st Century Residential Institute, an IIT campus and an eco-tourism project, on the land surrendered by the family of the Chief Minister.

The university was originally planned as Jawahar University of IT but its name was changed at the instance of Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

Information Minister A. Ramnarayan Reddy told reporters later that the university was planned since opportunities for rural youth were found to be “significantly inadequate”.

The university will provide broad professional integrated education with instructional and research facilities, on par with any such world class institution.

This will be the tenth university in Hyderabad after Osmania, JNTU, University of Hyderabad, Potti Sriramulu Telugu University, Dr N. G. Ranga Agriculture University, Dr B. R. Ambedkar Open University, Urdu University, IIIT and English & Foreign Languages University.