Andhra University restarts research activity at TDR Hub

Academic activity at Andhra University’s Trans-Disciplinary Research Hub (TDR Hub) is set to resume after an 18-month halt, offering long-awaited relief to nearly 730 research scholars. The pause had stalled pre-Ph.D exams, viva-voce evaluations, and thesis submissions, leaving many scholars in limbo.

Set up under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the TDR Hub is Andhra Pradesh’s first initiative of its kind. It promotes collaboration across disciplines such as engineering, humanities, sciences, and design, breaking away from the traditional department-based model. The university said the Hub aims to “move beyond discipline-specific approaches to address common societal and industrial problems.”

Since its inception four years ago, around 730 scholars have enrolled in the Hub’s Ph.D. programmes. Most were admitted through national and state-level entrance exams such as NET, SET, and AP-RCET, while about 40 joined under the executive quota. The supervision model combines retired professors, scientists, industry experts, and faculty from affiliated colleges.

The academic freeze had disrupted viva-voce exams, delayed thesis submissions, and sparked protests from affected scholars. In response, the university formed a special committee to streamline procedures and ensure compliance with UGC norms, including guide eligibility. Admissions were temporarily halted while the panel worked to standardize processes and clear pending cases.

Vice-Chancellor Prof. G.P. Rajasekhar said the Academic Senate has approved the committee’s recommendations, which were later endorsed by the Board of Research Studies. “Researchers will soon receive updates through their college principals. This clears a major bottleneck and allows academic work to restart smoothly,” he said.