A seven-member committee headed by former vice-chancellor of Dr B R Ambedkar Open University V. S. Prasad visited the University College of Engineering (Kakatiya University) in Kothagudem on Monday to explore the possibility of upgrading the college into a mining university.

The committee has also been tasked to study a proposal to shift the government polytechnic college and Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Rudrampur to the University College of Engineering in the coal town to transform the institution into an integrated technical education campus, sources said.

The State government constituted the committee comprising distinguished academicians based on a proposal submitted by Kothagudem MLA Jalagam Venkata Rao in this regard, sources added.

The committee members, including Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE) Chairman T. Papi Reddy and Kakatiya University Vice-Chancellor R. Sayanna, led by Prof. Prasad visited the ITI and Polytechnic colleges at Rudrampur on Monday afternoon.

Later, they made an on the spot assessment of the infrastructure and other facilities at the University College of Engineering spread over 397 acres.

Mr. Venkata Rao apprised the committee members of the imperative to upgrade the University College of Engineering into a special mining university to offer engineering courses in mining and other allied subjects.

He suggested that the existing technical education institutions at Rudrampur be moved to the spacious college campus in the industrial hub of Kothagudem, the soon to be new district headquarters.

Talking to newsmen later, Prof. Prasad said the committee will submit its report to the State government in November.

He underlined the need for building a strong institution-industry interface to create a talent pool of techies of high calibre, promote research activities in areas of mutual interest, foster industrial growth and create job opportunities.
Principal University College of Engineering, Kothagudem, B. Sesha Sreenivas and other members of the committee were present.