The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Aga Khan Foundation to set up two educational institutions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 02, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Aga Khan Foundation to set up two educational institutions

By Our Staff Reporter

The Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and Prince Aga Khan exchanging pleasantries at a meeting in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

HYDERABAD, DEC.1. The Aga Khan Foundation is to set two educational institutes of excellence-a fully residential school up to plus two level and a training centre for engineering teachers-- in the city, the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, announced here on Wednesday.

The institutes are to come up on a 100-acre site in Mamidipally village on the Srisailam road at a cost of Rs. 300 crores, and in all probability, the international school could start functioning in June, 2006, Dr. Reddy told presspersons after a meeting with Prince Aga Khan, who is on a visit to Hyderabad.

The Chief Minister said that the Prince had expressed keen desire to associate his foundation with Andhra Pradesh.

The Government had initially granted 50 acres at the site for the school and when the Prince wanted to set up a training centre for technical teachers, another 50 acres was sanctioned.

The foundation was looking into the feasibility in opening a nursing school and showed interest in the self-help groups and micro-credit programme in the State, said Dr. Reddy.

Merit-based admission

The Government had decided to form a committee of two to three senior officials to interact with foundation officials, expected to visit the capital in January, on various proposals and ensure speedy implementation.

The world-class standard school would be providing comprehensive integrated secular education and admissions would be "merit based, means blind" to put it in the words of the Prince.

The infrastructure is to be developed in an environment-friendly manner by preserving the vegetation and rocks in the site with ample facilities for students in sports and academics. Housing for teachers and facilities for parents to visit their wards would also be made. The Chief Minister said the Prince appeared more intent in socially developing the communities living around the historical monuments in the city like the Golconda Fort.

The Aga Khan Foundation team would also consider contributing towards conservation of historical monuments as it had done with the Humayun's Tomb in New Delhi.

However, the Prince sought private sector participation in maintaining monuments after the foundation did the spruce-up job.

Concern for poor

"We saw a genuine concern in him about the poorer sections of society. We are thankful to the Prince and hope his visit would bring more good to the State," said Dr. Reddy. The Ag Khan Foundation, a non-profit body, works for social development in some 15 countries in Asia and East Africa.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh