Telangana govt to allocate Rs 500 cr for Earth Sciences University, ETEducation
Hyderabad: The assembly on Monday passed the Telangana Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2026, for the establishment and renaming of the Earth Sciences University of Telangana after former prime minister Manmohan Singh.
It will be called Dr Manmohan Singh Earth Sciences University. Replying on behalf of chief minister A Revanth Reddy, health minister Damodar Rajanarasimha informed the House that the govt will allocate a budget of Rs 500 crore over the next two years to the university, which will come up in Kothagudem.
He said that new courses and departments will be created at the university, with the govt sanctioning teaching and non-teaching posts, extending financial support, and ensuring infrastructure development in accordance with the Telangana Universities Act, 1991. The bill passed in the assembly envisages the transfer of existing assets and liabilities, including teaching and non-teaching posts of the University College of Engineering, from the administrative control of Kakatiya University.
AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi questioned why MLAs were not provided with the detailed report submitted by the Telangana state council for higher education for the establishment of the university. “I tried to check, but there is no information available about the courses that would be offered by the university, the new departments that would be created, or the quantum of financial support that would be extended to the new institution,” he said while participating in the discussion on the bill.
Owaisi said that while setting up new universities is good, institutes of higher learning were facing a shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff as well as infrastructure. He said students graduating and post-graduating from universities should find employment not only in the govt sector but also in the private sector. He suggested that university courses should be on par with those offered in top-notch international universities to make youth globally employable.
He further pointed out that many seats were lying vacant in engineering colleges, including in key courses such as artificial intelligence and computer science engineering. He said there was a need to check private universities and institutions claiming to be deemed-to-be universities that are offering courses not recognised by the All India Council for Technical Education and other bodies. Responding to the discussion, Damodar Rajanarasimha said the suggestions made by AIMIM, BJP and CPI members will be considered positively by the govt.
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