Paravada’s Students Still Waiting: A Degree College That Never Came
In Paravada mandal, the dream of higher education often ends at the Intermediate level—not because students lack ambition, but because the system around them falls short.
For years, the demand for a government degree college here has gone unanswered. The consequence is visible every morning. Students leave home as early as 7 a.m., traveling long distances to Gajuwaka, Visakhapatnam, or Anakapalli just to attend classes. By the time they return, it is often late evening. What should be a phase of growth turns into a daily grind.
For many families, especially those with daughters, this routine is not sustainable. Safety concerns, travel fatigue, and rising costs force difficult decisions. Too often, that decision is to stop education after Intermediate.
This is not a remote or underdeveloped region. Paravada has grown rapidly into an industrial hub, home to major establishments like Simhadri NTPC, Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City, and the APIIC Industrial Park. With industries come jobs, and with jobs come families. The population has increased, but the educational infrastructure has not kept pace.
At the school level, things are relatively stable. Government schools up to Class 10 can accommodate students. A government junior college, set up over two decades ago with CSR support from Simhadri NTPC, serves not only Paravada but also nearby mandals like Achyutapuram and Munagapaka. However, demand far exceeds supply. Even with a private junior college added to the mix, total capacity is around 500 seats, leaving many without access.
But the real gap begins after Intermediate. There is no local option for degree courses such as B.A., B.Sc., or B.Com. For students who cannot afford the time, money, or safety risks of travel, the path forward simply closes.
What makes this more frustrating is that the issue is not new. The previous YSRCP government had announced plans for a degree college in Paravada, yet the proposal never moved beyond words.
Today, students and parents are not asking for promises—they are asking for action.
A government degree college in Paravada is no longer just a demand; it is a necessity shaped by demographic growth, economic expansion, and the basic right to accessible education. Until it becomes a reality, hundreds of students will continue to stand at the same crossroads, where ambition meets limitation.