A view of Government Model Degree, PG College Luxettipet
Mancherial: While a few government degree colleges are struggling to protect their existence due to decline in admissions year by year, a state-run Model Degree and PG College-Luxettipet has become a ray of hope for economically weak students who were till now forced to migrate to Karimnagar, Warangal and Hyderabad cities for pursuing quality higher education.
The Government Degree College was established on the premises of the existing intermediate college in Luxettipet in 2008. It was selected as a Model Degree College under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) scheme in 2015. An academic building and separate hostels for boys and girls were constructed on a sprawling 9.3 acres of land near the town spending Rs 12 crore sanctioned under the initiative in 2017.
“The institution is a boon for the rural students from the surrounding districts as quality education with holistic development provided by a dedicated team of qualified and experienced faculty,” Dr Jai Kishan Ojha, principal of the college told ‘Telangana Today.’
Around 1,200 students from diverse backgrounds are pursuing higher education hailing from 10 erstwhile districts of Telangana, and two neighboring states Kerala and Odisha, he added.
While offering various conventional degree and post-graduation courses since inception, the institute saw a paradigm shift in the admissions as well the courses offered after moving into permanent building in 2019. It is now offering a four-year long Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP).
It was among 42 colleges to have introduced the course across the country. The students are admitted on the basis of a national level test conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA).
According to the principal, the institute has spacious classrooms, well equipped science labs, a library with a good number of academic books and subscription of magazines, an air-conditioned computer lab with power backup, smart classrooms and virtual classroom making it a model college in real sense for students from rural parts of the state.
Similarly, students are encouraged to participate in literary, cultural and sports events at all levels. The students won at district and state level in competitions over an electoral awareness programme and cash prize of Rs 40,000. The career-oriented counselling, lectures by external peers, study tours, research projects and other curricular programs are organized for the convenience of students.
The institute applied for autonomous status from University Grants Commission (UGC). It, however, has no permanent playground and courts for sports. Currently, students are depending on a temporary playground. About 500 students can be accommodated in BC and SC hostels situated on the campus and another hostel located near the college.
The college institute began offering post-graduation courses in computer science, mathematics, commerce and vocational courses such as dairy science and crop production in addition to the regular conventional programs from 2020 onwards.
The institute is an environment friendly campus as plantation of saplings is carried out throughout the year. Despite hard and poor soil, the students and staff grew about 300 fruit bearing plants of 30 varieties and a flower garden. Drip irrigation is applied to water the plants, while water harvesting pits are used to recharge ground water.
The college won the Green Champion Award 2024 presented by Telangana State Pollution Control Board on June 5, 2024.