By DC Correspondent
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VIJAYAWADA: Education minister N. Lokesh moved three government bills in the AP Legislative Council on Saturday, including one for setting up an International University of Legal Education and Research at Amaravati. Providing details of “India International University of Legal Education and Research of the Bar Council of India Trust at Andhra Pradesh Bill, 2025,” Lokesh stated that the Bar Council of India (BCI) set up a National Law School in Bengaluru in 1986. This has become a model law university for the country. The minister said in 1993, a conference of chief justices had resolved to set up similar law institutions in all the states in India. Accordingly, the BCI formed a trust and subsequently set up the India International University of Legal Education and Research in Goa. Lokesh disclosed that AP Governor S. Abdul Nazeer has shown special interest in setting up an international law university in Amaravati, along with an arbitration centre, mediation and consultation centre, and a judicial training centre. The minister said the state government has allotted 55 acres land in Amaravati for these institutions. Rule of reservations will be followed as per the guidelines issued by the centre. Further, 25 per cent of seats will be reserved for students from AP. Referring to the promise of setting up a High Court bench in Kurnool, Lokesh said they have started the process in this regard. He expressed confidence in setting up the HC bench as well as the arbitration centre in Kurnool. The minister moved two more bills titled Andhra Pradesh Private (Universities Establishment and Regulation) (Third Amendment) Bill, 2025 and Andhra Pradesh Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2025. Explaining their significance, he said a special act has been issued for establishing private universities in 2016. These had been categorised into two Greenfield and Brownfield universities. 14 private universities had been set up in the state under the act. This act had been amended in 2023 but the changes had been found contradictory to the UGC guidelines. It became a tough task for foreign universities and local universities to come up in AP. The two new bills are to amend the act and encourage setting up of universities in both the public and private sector in the state. The Assembly has already passed these bills, which have now come to the council for approval.
