SFI criticises delay in APRCET admissions

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) demanded that the authorities concerned initiate the admission process for candidates who qualified in the Andhra Pradesh Research Common Entrance Test (APRCET).

In a representation submitted to Joint Director T.V. Srikrishna Murthy at Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) office, the federation’s State vice-president Ravi and State assistant secretary Akbar pointed out that the APRCET written examinations were conducted from November 3 to November 7, 2025, followed by the announcement of results on December 15, 2025.

Interviews were held from February 2 to February 6, 2026, and rank cards were released on February 25, 2026. However, even after a month since the release of rank cards, there was no clarity regarding the filling of seats, which was leading to serious anxiety among students, they said.

They pointed out that in the absence of clear information, students were forced to wait for months for the completion of the admission process. With an academic year already nearing completion, the delay was likely to have an adverse impact on the students’ academic future, they said.

They said that many students who qualified through R-CET were at risk of losing fellowships and other academic and employment opportunities. Students aspiring to pursue PhD programmes through R-SET were already experiencing mental stress due to the uncertainty. They warned that if PhD admissions were not completed on time, they would launch phased protests.

Responding to the issue, the Joint Director said that the delay in conducting PhD admissions was due to the issuance of Higher Education G.O. No. 3, and that the matter was currently under the purview of the newly-constituted Higher Education Commission.