Degree college for hearing-impaired students to open in Bapatla

Published 28 July 2026 · education

For decades, the Government Residential School and Junior College for Hearing-Impaired Students at Vedullapalli in Bapatla has quietly transformed lives. Students who communicate through sign

For decades, the Government Residential School and Junior College for Hearing-Impaired Students at Vedullapalli in Bapatla has quietly transformed lives. Students who communicate through sign language have gone on to become engineers, clerks, registration officials and skilled professionals. Now, the Andhra Pradesh government has promised to introduce another chapter in their lives by opening a degree college for them. The State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on July 23, approved the establishment of a Government Degree College for hearing-impaired students from the 2026-27 academic year. The college will begin with 30 seats for B.Com.

(Computer Applications) along with Artificial Intelligence certification courses. More degree programmes, including B.A., B.Com. and B.Sc., have also been proposed. The residential school began with just 50 students during the N.T. Rama Rao government in 1987. Today, it has a sanctioned strength of 230 students and currently educates 215. Intermediate courses were introduced in 1999 by the then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Since the 1999-2000 academic year, the institution has maintained an extraordinary record of 100% pass results in SSC and Intermediate public examinations, reflecting the determination and ability of its students, School Principal D.S. Razia told The Hindu.

Every year, nearly 450 hearing-impaired students pass the Intermediate examinations across Andhra Pradesh. However, the absence of a government degree college has forced many to discontinue their education. The new institution is expected to bridge this gap. The school’s alumni have already proved that disability is never a limitation. students are serving in various government departments. Many are also employed in private companies, including D-Mart, Flipkart and Amazon in Guntur, earning around ₹15,000 a month, Ms. Razia said. Apart from academics, students are trained in computer applications, storekeeping, welding, fitting, carpentry and drawing. They actively participate in sports such as volleyball, kho kho, chess, ring events and discus throw.

Bapatla District Collector V. Vinod Kumar said the administration was committed to starting degree classes in accordance with the State government’s guidelines. The dreams of the students extend well beyond classrooms. For instance, Y. Swathi, a Plus-One student and a volleyball and kho kho player, hopes to represent India in national and international competitions. School Principal D.S. Razia said the students possess exceptional learning abilities and can successfully pursue professional and technology-based courses.