Visakhapatnam: Andhra University-defence joint education programme is set to achieve another milestone as the varsity will now ink five Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Army on July 20.The MoUs are expected to draw about 20,000 army men to AU every year. As part of the MoUs, the varsity will offer several diploma, postgraduate diploma and post-graduation courses to the army personnel. The medical board-outs (recruits released from the services on grounds of medical illnesses or disability) will be given lateral entry into engineering and post-graduation courses. A certain percentage of PhD seats will be reserved for army officials.Speaking to TOI, AU vice chancellor Prof G Nageswara Rao said, the varsity has already inked several MoUs with the Indian Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Andhra Pradesh Sainik Welfare Board. “Now, with these MoUs with the Indian Army, Andhra University has covered all the armed forces . The campus now has a large number of defence personnel of various ranks and institutions. This has enhanced its prestige at the national level. On the other day, somebody told me that AU may become the alma mater for every defence personnel in the country,” said Prof Rao.AU defence joint education programme coordinator Ujwal Kumar Ghatak said, junior commissioned officers in the army will be certified with a one-year PG diploma in HR management. “After the army officers graduates from the Officers Training Academy, Chennai, we will offer them a one-year PG diploma in particular engineering branch,” said Ghatak. He further added that executive MBA will also be part of the academic programmes of the officials.

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