Vijayawada: In a significant step towards establishing Andhra Pradesh’s own open university after bifurcation, Dr BR Ambedkar Open University has received approval from the University Grants Commission’s Distance Education Bureau (UGC-DEB) to offer six undergraduate programmes under the open and distance learning (ODL) mode for the 2026-27 academic year.
Speaking to TOI, APSCHE vice-chairman and vice-chancellor of the university, Prof S Vijay Bhaskara Rao, said admissions will commence on Aug 1 and continue till Sep 15 through an online admission portal. Candidates must create a unique ID on the portal to complete registration.
The approved programmes include BA (Political Science-Sociology-Public Administration), BA (History-Economics-Political Science), BSc (Mathematics-Physics-Chemistry), BSc (Mathematics-Physics-Computer Science), BCom (Computer Applications) and Bachelor of Library and Information Science (BLISc). The courses will be offered in both Telugu and English.
“This approval enables us to begin admissions this academic year. Students from across Andhra Pradesh can pursue higher education through our network of 76 study centres,” Rao said, adding that the university aims to make higher education accessible to working professionals, women, rural youth and those who had discontinued their studies.
He said the university is currently functioning from a temporary campus in Vijayawada, while the state government has proposed to establish its permanent campus in Eluru. The government has sought land for the university and submitted proposals seeking infrastructure support and additional grants.
Rao said the university has also secured recognition under Section 2(f) of the UGC Act, paving the way for further academic expansion. Another six programmes are proposed later this year, followed by additional courses in January. The university plans to gradually expand its academic offerings to 20-30 programmes and expects to enrol 20,000-30,000 students in the coming academic year, making distance education more accessible across the state.
