Metro India News | AMARAVATI

The Andhra Pradesh government's ambitious plan to establish English language laboratories in all government-aided degree and polytechnic colleges is facing serious delays, with no clear timeline for statewide implementation.

Although the proposal—part of a broader push to enhance employability—was backed by a dedicated budget and introduced several months ago, the initiative remains entangled in policy disputes, coordination hurdles between departments, and uncertainty over integration with existing programs.

The English Communication Skills Project, spearheaded by the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) in collaboration with the British Council, has already trained nearly one lakh students through a blended model comprising 100 hours of in-person sessions and 50 hours of online learning. While the program has shown encouraging results, the government introduced a more expansive English Labs Project, allocating ₹158 crore for infrastructure upgrades—including lab facilities, new buildings, and enhanced libraries—in degree and polytechnic colleges.

However, the rollout has been sluggish. As of now, English labs remain unavailable in most colleges. Polytechnic institutions, where academic sessions are already underway, continue to wait for the promised facilities. In degree colleges, the project is still in the planning stages.

Sources within the higher education department cite internal disagreements as a key reason for the delay. Some officials favor integrating the labs with the existing British Council-led initiative, while others support a new, standalone partnership with the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU).

“The intention is to expand the current training initiative and eventually include private institutions as well,” APSCHE Secretary Murthy told Metro India. “We are already running a successful module with the British Council, and we want to build on that systematically. But yes, statewide implementation will take time.”