Andhra Pradesh regulatory reforms are moving ahead across education, industry, commerce and legal metrology, but eight of the 28 priority areas identified by the state and Centre are yet to reach implementation, officials said after a review meeting at the AP Secretariat.
Union steel secretary Sandeep Pundrik and Andhra Pradesh chief secretary G. Sai Prasad directed departments to accelerate the pending measures and reduce compliance requirements within the stipulated deadlines. Twenty of the 28 priority reform areas are currently at various stages of implementation, according to the review.
The meeting examined proposals affecting the physical and administrative requirements for private schools. Officials discussed simplifying norms related to school infrastructure, playgrounds and laboratories, along with replacing the essentiality certificate required for recognition with a self-certification system.
The proposed changes could alter how private schools demonstrate compliance before recognition. The report did not specify the proposed standards that would replace the existing certification process or provide a timeline for its implementation. Any change in infrastructure requirements would remain subject to the final rules issued by the relevant department.
Higher education reforms were also reviewed. Officials examined measures to reduce land and endowment fund requirements for establishing private universities. The discussion links regulatory simplification to the availability of institutional land and financial commitments, two requirements that can influence where new higher education campuses are established and how quickly they can be created.
For industry and commerce, officials stressed the need to reduce the number of no-objection certificates and multiple licences required to establish and operate businesses. They favoured allowing micro, small and medium enterprises to begin operations on the basis of self-declarations. The meeting also considered simpler approval and inspection procedures for low-risk industries.
The proposed approach would create a distinction between businesses based on the level of risk associated with their operations. However, the report did not state which industries would be classified as low risk, which approvals would be removed, or how inspections would be conducted after operations begin.
The reforms also cover registrations and licence issuance under the Legal Metrology department. Officials reviewed measures intended to make those processes easier, while Chief Secretary Sai Prasad directed the departments concerned to eliminate unnecessary approvals and procedural delays.
The review brought together officials from the school education, higher education, industries, commerce and legal metrology departments. Additional secretary Sarita Chauhan Chand also participated in the meeting. The next step is for the departments to complete the pending reforms within the deadlines set for the second phase of the programme.
