Constructed on 1.80 acres, the new college building is going to be launched by K Nithyananda Reddy, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Aurobindo Pharma Limited, Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Botsa Satyanarayana, and Chairperson, Zilla Praja Parishath, Vizianagaram, Majji Srinivasa Rao (Chinna Srinu)

Aurobindo Pharma Foundation is going to launch a newly constructed government junior college building at Somalingapuram village and panchayat, Merakamudidam Mandal, Vizianagaram district. With a built-up area of 14000 sq. ft. on an extent of 1.80 acres of land, the building consists of 12 classrooms that include a laboratory room, besides a staff room, principal room, cycle shed, separate toilet blocks for girls, boys, and staff, a compound wall, and other infrastructure (dual desks, chairs, chalkboards, and wardrobes). The college building will be inaugurated on February 26, 2022.

Total CSR funds of INR 3.30 crores were spent on the construction of this college, wherein INR 2,60,00,000 was spent by Axis Clinical, INR 51,00,000 was spent by Trident Chemphar Ltd, and INR 19,00,000 was spent by the Aurobindo Pharma Foundation for the establishment of the Government Junior College at Merakamudidam.

In February 2019, a government order was issued by the Commissioner of Intermediate Education, Andhra Pradesh, sanctioning the establishment of various new government junior colleges across the state. Following this, a specific request letter was received from the Vizianagaram District Vocational Education Officer for the construction of a new Govt. Jr. College in Merakamudidam Mandal of the Vizianagaram district.

The Merakamudidam Mandal of the Cheepurupalli constituency is located in a remote area with particularly poor access to colleges and secondary education institutions. Although approximately 800 people complete their schooling from this Mandal each year, residents must travel nearly 30 kilometres each day to attend college or pursue higher education.

Furthermore, the majority of the population of Merakamudidam Mandal are below the poverty line (BPL) families, earning their livelihood through agriculture and daily wage labour. These circumstances demonstrate the pressing need to establish an institution for higher education to improve access to quality education and thereby improve livelihood and employment opportunities.

This new college will be of great help to those in need of quality education and proper infrastructure. Every academic year, this college will provide quality higher education to around 600 students in an accessible location at no cost. Moreover, the college will offer 4 streams of intermediate education and 2 vocational courses, allowing students to pursue higher education and improve their employment opportunities.