Amaravati, August 12: Only two higher education institutions in Andhra Pradesh have implemented Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes (AEDP), according to the Union Education Ministry’s latest reply in the Rajya Sabha.
The two institutions are Acharya Nagarjuna University, Namburu, in Guntur district, and the Indian Maritime University, Visakhapatnam Campus. Both have implemented AEDP courses as part of their three-year undergraduate programmes, the Ministry said.
The information came in response to a question by Rajya Sabha member Bhashyam Rama Krishna, who sought details on measures taken to strengthen higher education in Andhra Pradesh, including the integration of skill development and vocational courses into the curriculum.
The AEDP framework is intended to integrate academic learning with industry-relevant skills and apprenticeship experience. The University Grants Commission issued guidelines for Higher Education Institutions to offer Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programmes in 2025.
The UGC organised its Fourth Zonal AEDP Conference at Sri Padmavathi Mahila Visvavidyalayam, Tirupati, on February 6, 2026, specifically to promote implementation of the programme in the State.
The Ministry also cited other skill-development initiatives in Andhra Pradesh. Under the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF), 96 higher education institutions in the State were approved during 2020-21 to offer skill-based programmes through initiatives including Community Colleges, B.Voc degree programmes and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Centres.
No data on implementation of Skill Programmes
Though the Centre cited 96 Andhra Pradesh institutions approved during 2020-21 to offer skill-based programmes under the NSQF, it provided no data on how many of these institutions implemented the programmes or on their outcomes. For the newer Apprenticeship Embedded Degree Programme (AEDP), the Centre identified only two institutions as having implemented the programme as of August 2026.
The parliamentary reply also highlights wider efforts to make higher education more flexible and multidisciplinary. As of July 31, 2026, 298 higher education institutions in Andhra Pradesh were registered on the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC) portal. They included three Central Universities, nine Deemed Universities, 12 Private Universities, 28 State Universities and 246 Autonomous Colleges.
On research and innovation, the Ministry said 38 higher education institutions in Andhra Pradesh had established Research and Development Cells under UGC guidelines as of July 2026.
The State has received support under the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan. A total of 33 units were approved in Andhra Pradesh for ₹378.74 crore, including ₹100 crore for Sri Padmavathi Mahila Visva Vidyalayam, Tirupati, under the Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities component.
The Centre said measures such as multiple entry and exit, the Academic Bank of Credits, SWAYAM, Open and Distance Learning and online education are intended to provide students with greater flexibility. It said higher education institutions are responsible for orienting and counselling students, including those from rural and first-generation backgrounds, about credit transfer, re-entry and programme options.
