AU opens testing and validation center; advocates revised estimates for century projects

Vice-Chancellor GP Raja Sekhar (second from left) looks at the test equipment at the newly opened Engineering Test & Validation Center at A-Hub, Andhra University in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. | Photo credit: IN PARADISE

Andhra University on Wednesday inaugurated an engineering test and validation center where circuit components can be tested and validated before production.

Vice-Chancellor GP Raja Sekhar said the centre, set up as part of the Andhra University Incubation Board and A-Hub, is a joint project with the Department of Science and Technology (DST), with the first phase costing ₹50 crore.

“Whether DST supports Phase II or not, Andhra University has already committed,” he said, adding that equipment worth around ₹70,000 would be received within two months. The facility, he said, would be useful for students and affiliated colleges and promote skill development and startup culture.

Responding to reports that the cost of the centenary projects had risen sharply, he said the Executive Council had approved the revised estimates. “The escalation in estimates is justified,” he said. Originally designed for 568 students, the boys’ dormitory now accommodates 1,026, the girls’ dormitory 732 instead of 376, and the mess 2,288 instead of 870.

“The increase is not just because of escalation of construction costs,” he said, referring to larger built-up areas, Tariff 2026-27, ₹ 4.5 crore for furniture and another ₹ 3 crore for ancillary works in the boys’ hostel project. The work will be done by the Andhra Pradesh Education Welfare and Infrastructure Development Corporation.

A proposal for a single building of 80,000 sq ft to house the district central library and the university library, each measuring 40,000 sq ft, is in the design stage at an estimated cost of about ₹ 70 crore, of which the university will contribute ₹ 6 to 7 crore, he said.

The MoU for the NASSCOM Center of Excellence, a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)-NASSCOM center on the campus, has expired but the center is not closing down, he said. Six of the eight startups there have agreed to continue and two more will get the same opportunity. Reports that the startups were sent away were false and those at A-Hub were fully operational, he said.

Mr. Raja Sekhar is leaving for the United States on Wednesday evening for the university’s centenary celebrations with the alumni, returning on October 19. Programs are scheduled for Oct. 10 in Houston, with about 300 expected, and Oct. 17 in New Jersey, with nearly 500.

The endowment policy will be released at alumni commitment events, he said. He will also explore memorandums of understanding with the University of Houston and Penn State University and visit Texas A&M University.

Published – 7 Oct 2026 22:10 IST