Nellore (AP): The Ministry of Human Resource Development is opening a new Regional Institute of Education at Nellore (Andhra Pradesh). Its foundation-stone will be laid on 27 December  2016 jointly by Mr Prakash Javadekar, the Union HRD Minister and Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu, the Union Urban Development Minister.

 Presently NCERT, an apex body of Government of India on School Education, has five RIEs in the country at Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Mysore and Shillong. The opening of the new RIE at Nellore will be give an impetus to the strengthening of School Education and Teacher Education in the region and benefit not only Andhra Pradesh but also the adjoining States of Telegana, Tamil Nadu, Pudduchery, etc.

The opening of the RIE fulfills the long-standing demand of the region. The new institution at Nellore shall offer teacher education programmes like B.Sc/BA B.Ed, M.Ed, Ph.D etc. will undertake research and development of Resource Materials on school and teacher education, help capacity building of Teachers and Teacher Educators, strengthen implementation of Government of India Schemes like SSA, RMSA, ICT in schools, and strengthen linkages among State Education Agencies besides addressing educational needs of the States.

The opening of the RIE at Nellore has been possible because of the keen interest shown by the Government of Andhra Pradesh by offering land free of cost for the institute. Union Minister for Urban Development Sri Venkaiah Naidu had taken the initiative and requested the Government of Andhra Pradesh for the necessary land. The State Government allotted 50 acres of land free of cost on the National Highway at Kanupuru Bit-II, near NH-16 Venkatachalm Mandal, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.