Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh is a state on the east coast of southern India. It is the seventh-largest state and the tenth-most populous in the country. Telugu, one of the classical languages of India, is the most widely spoken language in the state and serves as its official language. Amaravati is the state capital, and Visakhapatnam is the largest city. Andhra Pradesh shares borders with Odisha to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the north, Karnataka to the west, Tamil Nadu to the south, Telangana to northwest and the Bay of Bengal to the east. According to archaeological evidence, Andhra Pradesh has been continuously inhabited from early archaic hominins through Neolithic settlements. The earliest known reference to the Andhras appears in the Aitareya Brahmana (c. 800 BCE) of the Rigveda. Around 300 BCE, the Andhras living in the Godavari and Krishna river deltas were described by contemprory sources as having military strength only to the Maurya Empire in the Indian subcontinent. The first major Andhra polity was the Satavahana dynasty (2nd century BCE – 2nd century CE), which ruled over the entire Deccan Plateau and extended into western and central India. The Satavahanas established trade relations with the Roman Empire, and according to historian Stanley Wolpert, their capital, Dhanyakataka, may have been the most prosperous city in India during the 2nd century CE. Subsequent major dynasties included the Vishnukundinas, Eastern Chalukyas, Kakatiyas, Vijayanagara Empire, and Qutb Shahis, followed by British rule. After India gained independence, Andhra State was carved out of Madras State in 1953. In 1956, it merged with the Telugu-speaking regions of the former Hyderabad State (Telangana) to form Andhra Pradesh. The state reverted to its earlier form in 2014, when the new state of Telangana was bifurcated from it. The Eastern Ghats separate the coastal plains from the peneplains. Major rivers include the Krishna, Godavari, Tungabhadra and Penna. According to government estimates, Andhra Pradesh holds approximately one-third of India's limestone reserves and significant deposits of baryte and granite. Agriculture and related activities employ 62.17% of the population, with rice as the staple crop. The state contributes 30% to India's fish production and accounts for 35% of the country's seafood exports. The Sriharikota Range, located on Sriharikota island in Tirupati district, serves as India's primary satellite launch centre. Andhra is the birthplace of the Amaravati school of art, an ancient Indian art style that influenced South Indian, Sri Lankan, and Southeast Asian art. The state is also home to Kuchipudi, one of India's classical dance forms, and has produced several Carnatic music composers. The state includes pilgrimage centres and natural attractions, such as the Venkateswara temple in Tirumala and the Araku Valley. Products with geographical indication (GI) registration include Tirupati Laddu, Banganapalle mangoes, Kondapalli toys, Dharmavaram sarees, and Pootharekulu. Etymology The Andhras are mentioned in the Aitareya Brahmana of the Rigveda (c. 800–500 BCE) as descendants of the sage Vishvamitra. In these texts, Andhras are referred to as non-Aryans living on the fringes of Aryan settlements. The Satavahanas, the earliest dynasty known to have ruled this region, are referred to as Andhra, Andhrara-jateeya, and Andhrabhrtya in the Puranic literature. Accrording to scholars, "Andhra" functions as both a tribal and a territorial name. The region inhabited by the Andhras was called Andhradesa. According to Iravatham Mahadevan, the term 'āndhra' is derived from the Old Telugu masculine nominative marker 'aṉṟu', possibly used by Indo-Aryan people or Buddhists to refer to Telugu people. Pradesh means "state" or "province". History Pre-history Stone tools excavated from Hanumanthunipadu in Markapuram district have been dated to approximately 247,000 years old (Middle Paleolithic). This dating suggests that these tools were developed by archaic hominins, as such tools were previously thought to have been used by modern humans migrating from Africa about 210,000 years ago. According to the study authors, the absence of fossil evidence has left unanswered questions about the fate of these populations. The discovery of petroglyphs, pictographs, and dolmens in Chakrala Bodu, near Boyalapalli village in the Yerragondapalem mandal area of Markapuram district, indicates the presence of Neolithic human settlements in the region. Early and medieval history The Greek historian Megasthenes reported in his Indica (c. 310 BCE) that Andhras lived in the Godavari and Krishna river deltas and were known for their military strength, which he ranked second only to the Mauryans in all India. Archaeological evidence from sites such as Bhattiprolu, Amaravathi, and Dharanikota suggests that the Andhra region was part of the Mauryan empire. After the death of Emperor Ashoka, Mauryan rule weakened around 200 BCE and was replaced by several smaller kingdoms in the Andhra region. An urn containing relics of Buddha,found at Bhattiprolu bears one of the earliest examples of the Brahmi script. This inscription is considered a key for deciphering Tamil Brahmi. The Kadamba script, derived from Bhattiprolu Brahmi, later continued to the evolution of Telugu and Kannada scripts. The Satavahana dynasty dominated the Deccan Plateau from the 1st century BCE to the 3rd century CE. It had trade relations with the Roman Empire. The Satavahanas made Dhanyakataka-Amaravathi their capital. According to historian Stanley Wolpert, it might have been the most prosperous city in India in 2nd century CE. Nagarjuna, the philosopher of Mahayana, lived in this region. Mahayana spread to China, Japan, and Korea. It became the largest Buddhist denomination in the world. Amaravati School of Art is regarded as one of the three major styles of ancient Indian art and had a great influence on art in South India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia. The Andhra Ikshvakus, with their capital at Vijayapuri, succeeded the Satavahanas in the Krishna River valley in the latter half of the 2nd century CE. The Salankayanas were an ancient dynasty that ruled the Andhra region between Godavari and Krishna rivers with their capital at Vengi (modern Pedavegi) around 300 CE. Telugu Cholas ruled present-day Kadapa region from the six to the thirteenth centuries intermittently. Kallamalla sasanam (law), engraved in 575 CE during the rule of Dhanamjaya, is the earliest completely Telugu inscription. The Vishnukundinas was the first dynasty in the fifth and sixth centuries to hold sway over South India. Undavalli Caves is an example of Indian rock-cut architecture of that time. The Eastern Chalukyas of Vengi, whose dynasty lasted for around five hundred years from the 7th century until 1130 CE, eventually merged with the Chola dynasty. They continued to rule under the protection of the Chola dynasty until 1189 CE. At the request of King Rajaraja Narendra, Nannaya, considered the first Telugu poet, took up the translation of the Mahabharata into Telugu in 1025 CE. Kakatiyas ruled present-day Andhra Pradesh and Telangana for approximately two centuries between the 12th and 14th centuries, until they were defeated by the Delhi Sultanate. The Bahamani sultanate took control after the Delhi Sultanate weakened. Around the same time, Musunuris and the Reddi Kingdom ruled parts of the region in the early 14th century. The Reddy kings constructed Kondaveedu Fort and Kondapalli Fort. The Gajapatis ruled parts of the region before it became part of the Vijayanagara Empire during the reign of Krishnadevaraya. The Pemmasani Nayaks controlled parts of Andhra Pradesh and maintained large mercenary armies that served as the vanguard of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 16th century. Several tanks and anicuts were built. Some of these include the Cumbum tank, Mopad tank, and Koregal anicut, Vallabhapur anicut across the Tungabhadra River. According to historians, the Vijayanagara Empire's patronage enabled fine arts and literature to reach new heights in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Sanskrit, while Carnatic music evolved into its modern form. The Lepakshi group of monuments, built during this period, features mural paintings of Vijayanagara kings, Dravidian art, and inscriptions. These monuments have placed on the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. Modern history Following the defeat of the Vijayanagara Empire, the Qutb Shahi dynasty controlled most of present-day Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This region later came under the rule of the Mughal Empire. Chin Qilich Khan, initially appointed as viceroy of the Deccan by the Mughal in 1713, established himself as a semi-independent ruler as the Nizam of Hyderabad. In 1765, British Lord Robert Clive obtained from the Mughal emperor Shah Alam II a grant of four circars (administrative districts) to the British East India Company, formalised in a 1778 treaty with Nizam Ali, the 5th Nizam of Hyderabad state, with addition of another circar. Four territories were ceded to the British by Nizam Ali in 1800, which eventually became the Rayalaseema region. Meanwhile, in present-day North Andhra, Raja Viziaram Raz (Vijaya Ramaraju) established a sovereign kingdom and acquired neighbouring estates with the British's support. After a subsequent dispute with the British, his kingdom was attacked and defeated at the Battle of Padmanabham in 1794. It was then annexed as a tributary estate, remaining so until it acceded to the Indian Union in 1949. Following the annexation of the Carnatic sultanate in 1801, the last major portion of present-day Andhra Pradesh came under British East India Company rule as part of Madras Presidency. After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the region became part of the British crown until India gained independence in 1947. The anicut (barrage) at Dowleswaram, built in 1850 by Arthur Cotton and others at Vijayawada, Nellore, Sangam, Sunkesula, and Polampalli are examples of irrigation facilities constructed during the British Raj, which irrigated large areas across coastal districts. The Buckingham Canal, built between 1806 and 1878, ran parallel to the Coramandal Coast from Kakinada to Marakkanam in Tamil Nadu and served as a major water transportation route until the 1960s. Telegraph service, initiated in 1850, served for over 160 years till it was stopped on 15 July 2013, citing low patronage due to advances in mobile communications and short message service. Charles Philip Brown conducted pioneering work in bringing Telugu into the print era and introduced Vemana's poems to English readers. Kandukuri Veeresalingam is considered by scholars to be the father of the Telugu renaissance movement for his efforts to promote the education of women and lower-caste people, and for his opposition to Brahmin marriage customs such as child marriage, the bride price system, and the prohibition of widow remarriage. To achieve an independent state based on linguistic identity and to protect the interests of Telugu-speaking people in Madras State, Potti Sreeramulu fasted to death in 1952. The Telugu-speaking area of Andhra State was carved out of Madras state on 1 October 1953, with Kurnool as its capital city. Based on the Gentlemen's Agreement of 1956, the States reorganisation act created Andhra Pradesh by merging the neighbouring Telugu-speaking areas of the Hyderabad State with Hyderabad as the capital on November 1st, 1956. In the unified state, the Indian National Congress (INC) held a monopoly on governance until 1983. Thereafter, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), led by N. T. Rama Rao (NTR), came to power as another major party. The Nagarjuna Sagar Dam (commissioned in 1967) and the Srisailam hydro electric project (commissioned in 1982) are examples of irrigation and electricity projects from this period. According to scholarly analysis, the increased presence of women, Dalits, and tribals in the social and political spheres, driven by social movements, was accompained by a rise in violence against these groups. Access to resources such as land remained an unachieved objective in effort to expand economic opportunities in the state. When the union cabinet decided to consider the formation of Telangana state in 2009 in response to the relaunched Telangana movement, the Samaikyandhra Movement opposing it emerged, leading to political turmoil in the state. The Andhra Pradesh reorganisation act was subsequently passed by the Parliament of India, authorizing the formation of Telangana state, despite opposition from the state legislature. The new state of Telangana came into existence on 2 June 2014 after approval from the president of India, with the residual state continuing as Andhra Pradesh. The TDP formed the first government of the residual state, with Chandrababu Naidu as chief minister. In 2017, the Government of Andhra Pradesh began operating from its new capital, Amaravati, for which 33,000 acres were acquired from farmers through a land pooling scheme. In the 2019 elections, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, leader of the YSR Congress Party, became chief minister, winning 151 out of 175 seats. His government introduced the 'village and ward volunteers' system, and reorganised the state into 26 districts. The government introduced English as the medium of instruction in almost all the state schools. A proposal to establish three capitals - with Amaravati as the legislative capital, Visakhapatnam(Vizag) as the executive capital, and Kurnool as the judicial capital - was struck down by the High Court. The government appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. Geography Andhra Pradesh is the seventh-largest state in India, with an area of 163,275 km2 (63,041 sq mi). The state shares borders with Orissa to the northeast, Chhattisgarh to the north, Karnataka to the southwest, Tamil Nadu to the south, Telangana to the northwest, and the Bay of Bengal to the east. Yanam district, an enclave of the Puducherry, is located within the state, bordering Kakinada district. Andhra Pradesh has a coastline of approximately 974 kilometres (605 mi), the second-longest coastline among Indian states. The Eastern Ghats form a major dividing line between the coastal plains and the peneplains in the state's geography. The ghats are discontinuous, and individual sections have local names. They become more pronounced toward the south and extreme north of the coast. These sections include the Horsley Hills, the Seshachala Hills, the Nallamala Hills, and the Papi Hills. Arma Konda, located in Visakhapatnam district, is the highest peak in the state. The peneplains, which are part of the Rayalaseema region, slope eastward. The Eastern Coastal Plains comprise the coastal districts, bordered by the Eastern Ghats along the Bay of Bengal, with variable width. These plains are predominantly delta regions formed by the Krishna, Godavari, and Penna rivers. The state has five soil types, with red lateritic and black soils constituting majority. Most of the coastal plains are used for intensive agriculture. The Kadapa basin, formed by two arching branches of the Eastern Ghats, is a mineral-rich area. The state's valleys include the Araku Valley, known for its biodiversity, and the Gandikota gorge. The Gandikota gorge is a canyon formed between the Erramala hill range, through which the Penna (Pennar) River flows. The state is home to the Borra Caves, created millions of years ago by water activity and the country's second-longest cave system, the Belum Caves are in the state. The state has several beaches in its coastal districts, such as Rushikonda, Mypadu, Suryalanka. Flora and fauna The total forest cover of the state is 29,784.3 square kilometres (11,499.8 sq mi), constituting 18.28% of the total area. The Eastern Ghats region contains dense tropical forests, while vegetation becomes sparser as the ghats tradition to the peneplains, where shrub vegetation is more common. The vegetation in the state is predominantly dry deciduous, including teak, and genera such as Terminalia, Dalbergia, Pterocarpus, etc. The state has several rare and endemic plants species, Cycas beddomei, Pterocarpus santalinus, Terminalia pallida, Syzygium alternifolium, Shorea tumburgia etc. As of 2019, the state has three national parks and thirteen wildlife sanctuaries. Fauna include tigers, leopards, cheetals, sambars, sea turtles, and various birds and reptiles. The estuaries of the Godavari and Krishna rivers support mangrove forests, with fishing cats and otters as keystone species. Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary is an example of mangrove forests and salt-tolerant forest ecosystems near the sea, covering an area of 582 km2 (225 sq mi), approximately 9% of the state's forest area. Other protected areas include the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, Kolleru Bird Sanctuary, and Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary. Neem (Azadirachta indica) is the state tree, jasmine is the state flower, the rose ringed parakeet is the state bird, and blackbuck is the state mammal. Mineral resources The state's varied geological formations contain industrial minerals and building stones. Major minerals found in significant quantities include beach sand, bauxite, limestone, granite, and diamonds. Minor minerals include barytes, calcite, and mica. The largest known uranium reserves in the country are located in Tummalapalli village of YSR district. The state also has reserves of oil and natural gas. Climate The climate varies considerably by geographical region. Summers last from March to June. In the coastal plain, summer temperatures generally exceed 35 °C (95 °F), higher than in the rest of the state. The minimum summer temperature is approximately 20 °C (68 °F) in the far southwest. July to September is the season for tropical rains from the southwest monsoon. Winter lasts from October to February. Low-pressure systems and tropical cyclones form in the Bay of Bengal during the northeast monsoon from October to December, bringing rains to the southern and coastal regions of the state. Winter generally range from 30 to 35 °C (86 to 95 °F), except in the northeast, where the may fall below 15 °C (59 °F). Lambasingi in Alluri Sitharama Raju district is nicknamed the "Kashmir of Andhra Pradesh" because its temperature ranges from 0 to 10 °C (32 to 50 °F). The average annual rainfall for the state is 966 mm (38.0 in). Demographics According to the 2011 Census of India, the population of Andhra Pradesh is 49,577,103, with a density of 304/km2 (790/sq mi). The rural population accounts for 70.53%, of the total, and the urban population accounts for 29.47%. scheduled caste (SC) constitute17.08% of the population and scheduled tribe (ST) constitute 5.53% . Children aged 0–6 years number 5,222,384, or 10.6% of the total population. The state has a sex ratio of 997 females per 1000 males, higher than the national average of 926 per 1000. The literacy rate 67.35%. The former West Godavari district has the highest literacy rate of 74.32%, and the former Vizianagaram district has the lowest with 58.89%. The Human Development Index (HDI) of the state for the year 2022 is 0.673. As of 1 January 2023, there are 39,984,868 registered voters, including 3,924 third-gender voters. Kurnool district has the maximum number of voters at 1,942,233, while Alluri Sitharama Raju district has the smallest at 729,085. Telugu is the first official language, and Urdu is the second official language of the state. Telugu is the mother tongue of nearly 90% of the population. Tamil, Kannada, and Odia are spoken in the border areas. Lambadi and several other languages are spoken by the scheduled tribes of the state. According to the Indian readership survey for the fourth quarter of 2019,19% of the population aged 12 years ando older can read understand English. Religion According to the 2011 census, the major religious groups in the state are Hindus (90.89%), Muslims (7.30%), and Christians (1.38%). Hindu pilgrimage destinations include the Tirumala Venkateswara temple at Tirupati, the Mallikarjuna temple at Srisailam, Kanaka Durga Temple at Vijayawada, and the Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple at Simhachalam. Buddhist sites at Amaravati and Nagarjuna Konda also attract visitors. Sub categorisaton In Andhra Pradesh, there are 59 scheduled caste(SC) categories, 34 scheduled (ST) categories, and 104 Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The Komati, Brahmin, Kamma, Kapu, Raju, Reddy, and Velama communities are classifed as forward castes. Culture Andhra Pradesh has 32 museums, featuring collections of ancient sculptures, paintings, idols, weapons, cutlery, inscriptions, and religious artefacts. The Amaravathi archaeological museum displays art traditions of Amaravathi and images of Buddha. The Bapu museum in Vijayawada contains historical galleries, stone inscriptions, coins, swords, body armour, shields, arms, and ornaments. Telugu Samskruthika Niketanam in Visakhapatnam displays historical artefacts of the pre-independence era. The Archaeological Survey of India has identified 135 centrally protected monuments in the state, including reconstructed monuments at Anupu and Nagarjunakonda. The state has 17 geographical indication (GI) registrations in the categories of agriculture, handicrafts, foodstuffs, and textiles under the Geographical indications of goods (Registration and Protection) act, 1999. Clothing The men's traditional wear consists of Panche, a 4.5 metres (15 ft) long, white rectangular piece of non-stitched cloth often bordered in brightly coloured stripes. Women traditionally wear a sari, a garment that consists of a drape varying from 5 to 9 yards (4.6 to 8.2 m) in length and 2 to 4 feet (0.61 to 1.22 m) in breadth that is typically wrapped around the waist, with one end draped over the shoulder, baring the midriff, as according to Indian philosophy, the navel is considered as the source of life and creativity. Women wear colourful silk saris on special occasions such as marriages. The traditional wear of young girls is a half-saree with blouse. The shift to wearing western clothing of pant and shirt has become common for boys and men, while women also wear salwar kameez in addition to saris. Dharmavaram textiles, Machilipatnam, and Srikalahasti Kalamkari handicrafts are few examples in clothes category with GI status. Cuisine Andhra meals are combinations of spicy, tangy, and sweet flavours. The use of chillies, tamarind, and gongura (leaves of roselle) is common in Andhra food. Curry leaves are used copiously in most preparations of curries and chutneys. Various types of Pappu are made using lentils in combination with tomatoes, spinach, gongura, ridge gourd, etc. Apart from curries, pulusu, a stew made using tamarind juice in combination with vegetables, seafood, chicken, mutton, etc., is popular. Pachchadi, a paste usually made with a combination of groundnuts, fried vegetables, and chillies, is a must in a meal. Pickles made using mangoes, gooseberries, lemons, etc. are enjoyed in combination with Pappu. Buttermilk and yoghurt mixed with rice eaten towards the end of the meal soothe the body, especially after eating spicy food items earlier. A tamarind-rich dish popularly known as Pulihora is made with a thick sauce of tamarind, chillies, salt and asafoetida. It is tempered with mustard, curry leaves, peanuts and mixed with rice. It is offered even to the gods and then served as a prasadam (divine offering) in the temples to the devotees. Popular vegetarian curries include Dondakaya koora (ivy gourd cooked with coconut and green chilli) and Guttivankaya koora(stuffed brinjal curry). Thalakaya koora (lamb head gravy), Royyala koora (prawns cooked in tamarind), and Natukodi koora (freehold chicken curry with chillies) are popular non-vegetarian dishes across Guntur and surrounding regions. Yeta mamsam kobbari biryani (mutton cooked with coconut), Seema kodi (Rayalaseema-style chicken), Chennuru dum biryani, and Gongura mamsam (mutton cooked in sorrel gravy) are popular non-vegetarian dishes in Rayalaseema. Among fish preparations, Pulasa pulusu, thick aromatic and tangy gravy made from a single fish of the Godavari Pulasa variety is most desired in Konaseema. Ariselu, Burelu, Laddu, and Pootharekulu are some of the sweets made for special festivals and occasions. Pootharekulu, a preparation of sugar and rice flour and Taandri, a mango-flavoured sun-dried fruit jelly are popular sweets originating from Athreyapuram in Konaseema. Kakinada Khaaja layered flour deep fried and dipped in sugar is another popular sweetmeat. Bandar laddu, Tirupati Laddu are some of the food products with GI status. Literature Nannayya, Tikkana, and Yerrapragada form the trinity who translated the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata into Telugu during 11–14 centuries. Nannayya wrote the first treatise on Telugu grammar, called Andhra Shabda Chintamani in Sanskrit. Pothana translated Bhagavatam into Telugu. Vemana was an Indian philosopher who wrote Telugu poems using simple language and native idioms on a variety of subjects including yoga, wisdom, and morality. Potuluri Veerabrahmendhra swami, a clairvoyant and social reformer of 17th century, wrote Kalagnanam, a book of predictions. Telugu literature after Kandukuri Veeresalingam is termed Adhunika Telugu Sahityam (modern Telugu literature). He was the author of the first Telugu social novel Rajasekhara Charitram, published in 1880. The use of colloquial idiom rather than grandhik (classical) in literature, championed by Gurajada Apparao and Gidugu Ramamurthy Panthulu led to increased literacy. Various forms of literature such as poetry, novel, short story were vibrant as indicated by the responses to national and international developments in various spheres of human life. The modern Telugu poetry, which began around 1900 developed into three forms – Bhava kavitvam (lyrical poetry), Abhyudaya kavitvam (progressive poetry), and new experimental poetry, including Viplava kavitvam (revolutionary poetry). Gurajada Apparao, Rayaprolu Subbarao, Gurram Jashuva, Viswanatha Satyanarayana, Devulapalli Krishnasastri, and Sri Sri were some of the modern Telugu poets. Palagummi Padmaraju's short story Galivaana won second prize in World Short Story competition in 1952. Rachakonda Viswanadha Sastry initiated a new trend by focussing on the downtrodden in his novel Raju-Mahishi. Women writers such as Malati Chandur and Ranganayakamma dominated novels in the 1950s and 1960s. However, in the late 1970s, Yandamuri Veerendranath started writing popular novels with a focus on sex, suspense and violence, which were serialised in magazines. Viswanatha Satyanarayana was conferred the first Jnanpith Award for Telugu literature in 1970. Telugu film song as literature took shape in the 1930s. Some of the famous lyric writers include Samudrala Senior, Arudra, Athreya, Daasarathi, and C. Narayana Reddy. Architecture Traditional temple architecture is influenced by Dravidian and Vijayanagara styles. In Dravidian architecture, for which Tirumala temple is an example, the temples consisted of porches or mantapas preceding the door leading to the sanctum, gate-pyramids or gopurams in quadrangular enclosures that surround the temple, and pillared halls used for many purposes. Besides these, the temple usually has a tank called the Kalyani or pushkarni. The gopuram is a monumental tower, usually ornate at the entrance of the temple forms a prominent feature. They are topped by the kalasam, a bulbous stone finial. Vimanam are similar structures built over the garbhagriha or inner sanctum of the temple but are usually smaller than the gopurams. In the Vijayanagar style for which Lepakshi Veerabhadra temple is an example, the main temple is laid out in three parts, these are: The assembly hall known as the mukha mantapa; arda mantapa or antarala (ante chamber); and the garbhagriha or the sanctum sanctorum. Sri Venkateswara institute of traditional sculpture and architecture, run by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams offers diploma courses. Civic architecture which mainly featured courtyard structure to support joint family system and simple round houses is giving way to modern apartments. Arts Kondapalli Toys, the soft limestone idol carvings of Durgi and Etikoppaka lacquered wooden toys are few handicrafts with GI status. Kuchipudi, the cultural dance recognised as the official dance form of the state of Andhra Pradesh, originated in the village of Kuchipudi in Krishna district. Several renowned composers of Carnatic music like Annamacharya, Kshetrayya, Tyagaraja, and Bhadrachala Ramadas hailed from the state. Sannai and Dolu are common musical instruments of marriages, household, and temple functions in the state. Harikathaa Kalakshepam (or Harikatha) involves the narration of a story, intermingled with various songs relating to the story. Burra katha is an oral storytelling technique in which the topic is either a Hindu mythological story or a contemporary social issue. Drama is an Indian theatre art form that is still popular. Gurajada Apparao wrote the play Kanyasulkam in spoken dialect for the first time. It was first presented in 1892. It is considered the greatest play in the Telugu language. The Telugu film industry (known as "Tollywood") is primarily based in Hyderabad, though several films are shot in Vizag, Tirupati, Rajamahendravaram. About 300 films are produced annually, C. Pullaiah is cited as the father of the Telugu cinema. Film producer D. Ramanaidu holds a Guinness record for the most films produced by a person. Music composers and playback singers of the state include Ghantasala, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela, S. Janaki, and P. B. Sreenivas. "Naatu Naatu" from the film RRR became the first song from an Asian film to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 2023. Efforts are on to make Vizag as the hub of film industry by offering incentives. Festivals Sankranti is the major harvest festival celebrated across the state. It is celebrated for four days in the second week of January. The first day of the Telugu new year Ugadi which occurs during March/April is also a special festival with the preparation and sharing of pickles (pachhadi) made from raw mangoes, neem flowers, pepper powder, jaggery and tamarind. Tasting this pickle which is a mix of different tastes teaches the importance of taking positive/negative life experiences in one's stride. Celebrations end with the recitation of the coming year's astrological predictions called Panchanga sravanam. Vijaya Dasami known commonly as Dussera and Deepavali, the festival of lights are other major Hindu festivals. Shivaratri is celebrated at Kotappakonda, with people from nearby villages preparing 80–100 ft height frames called prabhalu and taking it in a procession to the shine. Eid is celebrated with special prayers. Rottela Panduga is celebrated at Bara Shaheed Dargah in Nellore with participation across religious lines. Christians celebrate their religious festivals Good Friday, Easter and Christmas with processions and prayers. Government and administration There are a total of 175 assembly constituencies in the state legislative assembly. The legislative council is the upper house with 58 members. In the Indian parliament, the state has 25 seats in the Lok Sabha and 11 seats in the Rajya Sabha. In accordance with the Constitution of India, the governor is a state's de jure head and appoints the chief minister who has the de facto executive authority. Reddy, Kamma and Kapu communities cornered a share of 66% of seats in the 2019 election results. In the 2024 assembly elections, Reddy, Kamma and Kapu communities among the forward classes got more allocation than OBC in the unreserved category by major political parties or alliances. TDP-led National Democratic Alliance with Janasena Party and Bharatiya Janata Party emerged victorious defeating the incumbent YSRCP led by Jagan Mohan Reddy. It won 164 seats, while YSRCP got 11, a big drop from 151 it held. N. Chandrababu Naidu became the chief minister of the state for the fourth time. According to an opinion by Ayesha Minhaz in The Hindu daily, several factors including the prevailing anti-incumbency against the previous government and the alliance's promise of "Welfare with wealth generation" contributed to the success of TDP-led alliance. Andhra Pradesh police are structured in district, subdivision, circle, and police station hierarchy. In 2022, crimes against women and children saw a rise of 43.66% with a case count of 25,503 cases in Andhra Pradesh as per the National crime records bureau (NCRB) data. The state stood fifth in the country with 2,341 cybercrime cases. Andhra Pradesh High Court at Amaravati is headed by Chief justice with 37 judges. District judiciary is organised in a three-tier system with district courts at the top, civil (senior) and assistant sessions courts in the middle and civil (junior) and judicial first-class magistrate courts at the lower level. Apart from these, there are special courts such as family, CBI, ACB, Land reforms appellate tribunals, and industrial tribunals. Andhra Pradesh comprises two regions, namely Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema from a historical perspective. The northern part of Coastal Andhra is sometimes mentioned separately as North Andhra, to raise voice against underdevelopment. Administrative divisions The state is divided into 28 districts. These are further divided into 82 revenue divisions, and 688 mandals and 13,324 village panchayats as part of the administrative organisation. Each district is administered by a District Collector, who oversees land revenue administration, law and order, elections, and developmental activities. Revenue divisions are headed by Revenue Divisional Officers (RDOs), who may be Sub-Collectors (IAS officers) or Deputy Collectors. Mandals, the key sub-district units, consist of multiple villages and are managed by Mandal Revenue Officers (MROs), serving as the primary link between the district administration and village-level governance. Local government Local government in Andhra Pradesh functions through a three-tier Panchayati Raj system in rural areas and urban local bodies in towns and cities. Rural governance includes Gram Panchayats, Mandal Parishads, and Zilla Parishads, while urban areas are managed by Nagar Panchayats, Municipalities and Municipal Corporations. These bodies are responsible for local administration, development works, and delivery of basic services. There are 17 municipal corporations, 77 municipalities, and 29 Nagar Panchayats for urban governance in Andhra Pradesh. Rural governance is managed by 13,234 Gram Panchayats at the village level, 676 Mandal Parishads at the mandal level, and 26 Zilla Parishads at the district level. Each of these bodies has elected councils and members. Cities and towns There are 123 urban local bodies, consisting of 17 municipal corporations, 79 municipalities, and 27 nagar panchayats, in the state. The urban population is 14.9 million (1.49 crores) as per the 2011 census. There are two cities with more than one million inhabitants, namely Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. Government revenue and expenditure For 2021–22, total receipts of the Andhra Pradesh government were ₹2.05 lakh crore (US$21 billion), inclusive of ₹53,284 crore (US$5.6 billion) of loans. States' tax revenue was ₹70,979 crore (US$7.4 billion). The top three sources of tax revenue are statedcrores goods and services tax (GST) (₹23,809 crore), sales tax/value added tax (VAT) (₹20,808 crores), and state excise (₹14,703 crores). The government earned a revenue of ₹7,345 crore from 2.574 million transactions for registration services. Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, and Tirupati are the top contributors to the revenue. The government's total expenditure was ₹1,91,594 crore, which includes debt repayment of ₹13,920 crore. The fiscal deficit was 2.1% of the GSDP. Outstanding debt was ₹3.89 lakh crore, an increase of almost ₹40,000 crore compared to the previous year. This accounts for 32.4 per cent of the GSDP, which is more than the usual limit of 25% as per the Fiscal Responsibility Budget Management Actthe and Budget Management ActActstated crores. The outstanding guarantee estimate was ₹1,38,875 crore, of which power sector accounts for ₹38,473 crore equal to 12% of GDP. Out of the audited total expenditure of ₹1,77,674 crore of the state in 2021–22, social services accounted for 42.65% and capital expenditure 9.21%. When compared to 2020–21, the capital expenditure decreased by 14 per cent. Of the total expenditure, major components of the social services breakdown are as follows. The social welfare category accounted for 16%, education, sport, arts and culture had a share of 15% and health and family welfare had a share of 6.3%. Comptroller and Auditor general in its 2023 report warned that the trend of increasing levels of revenue expenditure coupled with a low level of capital spend will adversely impact infrastructure development, development, aggregate demand, employment generation, and revenue generation in the long run. Economy Gross state domestic product (GSDP/GDP) at current prices for the year 2022–23 is estimated at ₹1,317,728 crore (US$140 billion) (advanced estimates). The share of agriculture's contribution to the GSDP is at 36.19%, while industry is at 23.36%, and services are at 40.45%. The state posted a record growth of 7.02% at constant prices (2011–12) against the country's growth of 7%. GDP per capita is estimated at ₹219,518 (US$2,300). The sectoral growth rates at constant 2011–12 prices were for agriculture at 4.54%; industry at 5.66 and services at 10.05%. Poverty rate is reduced to 4.2% in 2023 from 11.77% in 2015–16 as per Niti Ayog report. The methodology, based on the global multidimensional poverty index uses 10 indicators, covering three areas health, education, and standard of living and additionally maternal health and bank accounts. Unemployment rate of people with graduation in Andhra Pradesh is estimated at 24% as per periodic labour force survey of July 2022 to June 2023, the third highest in the country. The number for the whole of India is at 13.4%. According to the Economic Survey of India 2024–25, Andhra Pradesh was identified as the "leading performer" in the agriculture and allied sectors (excluding forestry and logging), recording a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.80%. It was followed by Madhya Pradesh with 6.30% and Tamil Nadu with 4.80%. Andhra Pradesh also ranked 10th in Gross State Value Added (GSVA) in the services sector. Agriculture The agricultural economy comprises agriculture, livestock, poultry farming, and fisheries. Four important rivers in India, the Godavari, Krishna, Penna, and Tungabhadra, flow through the state and provide irrigation. The population engaged in agriculture and related activities as per 2020–21 fiscal data is 62.17%. Rice is the state's major food crop and staple food. Besides rice, farmers grow jowar, bajra, maize, many varieties of pulses, sugarcane, cotton, tobacco, fruits, and vegetables. The state contributed to 30% of fish production of India and it had a share of 35% in total sea food exports of India in 2022–23. The state has three agricultural export zones: the undivided Chittoor district for mango pulp and vegetables, the undivided Krishna district for mangoes, and the undivided Guntur district for chillies. Banaganapalle mangoes produced in the state were accorded GI status in 2017. Rythu Seva Kendras (RSK) or farmer facilitation centres are initiated by the government in 2020 to serve as a hassle-free, one-stop solution for the requirements of farmers from seed-to-sale. Banking services through banking correspondent are also integrated. As of 2023, 10,778 RSKs are functioning. AP land titling act 2023 was brought in to change from presumptive land ownership system based on possession, registration or inheritance documents to conclusive land ownership system, with government standing as surety for the ownership. Lands in 6000 villages were surveyed with drones and land title certificates were issued to owners, with georeferencing of their land parcels. The benefits of the act include a reduction in land disputes and easier acquisition of lands for public requirements. The newly formed TDP led NDA alliance government decided to repeal the act citing the scope for misuse of authority and deviation from the centre's draft bill. The Commission on Inclusive and Sustainable Agricultural Development of Andhra Pradesh, chaired by Prof. R. Radhakrishna, estimated the number of tenant farmers at 24.25 lakh in 2014. This consists of 6.29 lakh landless tenants and the rest owning some land. Out of 60.73 lakh hectares under cultivation, 27.15 lakh hectares or 44% was cultivated by tenants. Departmental estimates for 2021 put the number of tenant farmers at about 16 lakh. To identify and serve the needs of tenants, the Crop Cultivator Rights Act (CCRA) of 2019 was brought out. Only 26% of tenants obtained the CCRA or loan eligibility cards as per 2022 data. Industries As per the annual survey of industries 2019–20, the number of factories was 12,582 with 681,224 employees. The top four employment providers are food products (25.48%), non-metallic minerals (11.26%), textiles (9.35%), and pharmaceuticals (8.68%). Gross value added (GVA) contributed by the industrial sector is ₹55,035 crore (US$5.8 billion), of which food products (18.95%), pharmaceuticals (17.01%), and non-metallic minerals (16.25%) are the top three contributors. From a district perspective, the top three districts were Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and undivided Krishna. Andhra Pradesh hosts over 50 notified SEZs, spanning sectors like IT/ITES, pharmaceuticals, multi-product, biotechnology, and textiles, with a focus on export-oriented growth. Key operational examples include: Visakhapatnam Special Economic Zone, Sri City, Andhra Pradesh Special Economic Zone and several others. The defence administered Hindustan Shipyard Limited built the first ship in India in 1948. The state has 36 big auto players, such as Ashok Leyland, Hero Motors, Isuzu Motors India, and Kia Motors, The mining sector contributed ₹3,390 crore (US$350 million) in revenue to the state during 2021–22. Nearly 225 million barrels of crude oil was produced from Ravva block, in the shallow offshore area of the Krishna Godavari basin during 1994–2011. The state accounted for 0.6% of had and codensate production, and 2.9% of natural gas production of India in 2020–21. As of 20 June 2023, there are 190 science and technology organisations in Andhra Pradesh, including 12 central labs and research institutions. Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), known as Sriharikota range (SHAR), on the barrier island of Sriharikota in Tirupati district, is the primary satellite launching station operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation. Services Trade, hotels & restaurants registered the highest growth rate of 16.64%, while public administration, the lowest growth rate of 4.24% for the year 2022–23 at constant 2011–12 prices among the services category. The state is ranked third in domestic tourist footfalls for the year 2021, with 93.2 million domestic tourists, which amounts to 13.8% of all domestic tourists in India. A major share of the tourists visit temples in Tirupati, Vijayawada, and Srisailam. The value of information technology exports from the state in 2021–22 was ₹926 crore (US$97 million), which is 0.14% of the IT exports from India. Exports have remained below 0.2% in the past five years. Infrastructure Transport Roads As of 2023, the state has a total major road network of 47,244.83 km (29,356.58 mi). This comprises 8,163.72 km (5,072.70 mi) of national highways, 12,595.60 km (7,826.54 mi) of state highways, and 26,485.51 km (16,457.33 mi) of major district roads. In the category of national highways, NH 16, with a highway network of around 1,000 km (620 mi) in the state, is a part of the Golden Quadrilateral project. Vehicles on the register consist of 1.828 million transport vehicles and 13.7 million non-transport vehicles. In the transport category, goods carriages constitute 53.61%, auto rickshaws 36.21%, and stage carriages 1.14% constitute the top 3 categories. In the non-transport category, motorcycles constitute 89.5%, four-wheelers 7.29%, and cabs 5.96% occupy the top 3 ranks. The state government-owned Andhra Pradesh state road transport organisation is the public bus transport provider. It is split into 129 depots across four zones. It has a fleet strength of 11,098 buses and a staff count of 49,544. It operates 1.11 billion kilometres and serves 3.68 million passengers daily as per the socio-economic survey of 2023. As of 2023, Railways Renigunta was the first among major stations to appear on the railway map of Andhra Pradesh when Madras Railway connected it to Madras in 1862. Rajahmundry-Vizag and Vijayawada-Kovvur sections were opened in 1893. Vijayawada-Madras section was started in 1899. It was extended to Howrah in 1900. As of 2022, the state has a total broad-gauge route of 3,969 km (2,466 mi) with rail density of 24.36 km (15.14 mi) per 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi). The railway network in Andhra Pradesh is under the South Central railway, East Coast railway, and South Western railway zones. During 2014–2022, 350 km (220 mi) of new lines were constructed at a rate of 44 km (27 mi) per year in Andhra Pradesh under the South Central railway division. The rate of construction was only 2 km (1.2 mi) per year in the preceding five years. The Nadikudi–Srikalahasti line with a length of 308.70 km (191.82 mi), which was sanctioned at a budget of ₹22.89 billion (US$240 million) in 2011–12 as a joint project of the centre and state, is progressing slowly, with only phase one of 46 km (29 mi) between New Piduguralla and Savalyapuram completed by 2021–22. There are three A1 and 23 A-category railway stations in the state, as per the assessment in 2017. Visakhapatnam was declared the cleanest railway station in the country, as per the assessment in 2018. The railway station in Shimiliguda is the second broad gauge railway station at high altitude in the country next to Qazigund in Jammu and Kashmir. A new railway zone South Coast railway (SCoR), with headquarters in Visakhapatnam, was announced in 2019, but is yet to be implemented. Airports Tirupati Airport was established in 1976. Visakhapatnam became a part of civil aviation in 1981. Daily flights to Vijayawada were started in 2003. Apart from these three which are international airports, the state has three domestic airports, namely Rajahmundry, Kadapa, and Kurnool. A privately owned airport for emergency flights and chartered flights is at Puttaparthi. Bhogapuram international airport is being constructed with a budget of ₹4,750 crore on an area of 2,300 acres near Visakhapatnam. It is expected to be completed by 2025. Andhra Pradesh saw a 60% increase in domestic air passenger traffic, with 24.74 lakh visitors at its five airports during the 2021–22 fiscal year (up to January 2022), compared to 15.48 lakh in the same period the previous fiscal year. Sea ports The state has one major port at Visakhapatnam under the administrative control of the central government and 15 notified ports, including three captive ports, under the control of the state government. Visakhapatnam port was the earliest port to be commissioned in 1933. Gangavaram port is a deep seaport that can accommodate ocean liners up to 200,000–250,000 DWT. Cargo of 189.21 million tonnes was handled by Gangavaram, Kakinada deepwater, Krishnapatnam, Ravva, Kakinada anchorage, and Visakhapatnam during 2023–34, with a growth of 7.9% over the previous year. New sea ports are under construction at Ramayapatnam, Machilipatnam, Mulapeta, and Kakinada. Communication As per socio-economic survey released in January 2023, Andhra Pradesh has 10,605 post offices. Bharat sanchar nigam limited (BSNL) operates 1,310 telephone exchanges with 20.6 million landline connections and also has 5.4 million wireless subscribers. Airtel, Jio, Vodaphone Idea, and BSNL provide mobile services in the state. As of 2023, the number of mobile phone users reached 82 million, while the number of internet subscribers reached 67.1 million in Andhra Pradesh. Mobile network services are available in 15,322 out of 17,328 villages. 5G network connectivity is provided by 16,714 base transfer stations. Several providers including state government owned Andhra Pradesh state fibre net limited operate wireline services supporting internet connectivity, telephony, and Internet Protocol television. The AP statewide area network connects 2,164 offices of state administration at 668 locations down to the level of mandal headquarters. The network supports both data and video communications. BSNL and the National Knowledge Network multi-purposeCricket link district headquarters with state headquarters with a bandwidth of 34 Mbit/s. Mandal headquarters are connected with a bandwidth of 8 Mbit/s. Water The state has 40 major and medium rivers and 40,000 minor irrigation sources. Godavari, Krishna, and Penna are major rivers. The total cultivable area is 19.904 million acres. Major, medium, and minor irrigation projects irrigate 10.172 million acres or 51.1% as of 2015. Several water projects in the state are facing issues. The Polavaram Project is a multi purpose terminal reservoir project located 42 km upstream of Davaleswaram barrage. It is a national project as per the AP Reorganisation Act of 2014. It has a reservoir capacity of 194.6 TMC and is expected to utilise 322.73 TMC of water in a year. The under-construction project suffered setbacks with damage to its diaphragm wall during the 2022 floods. The Veligonda Project, taken up to serve needs of Prakasam, Nellore, and YSR Kadapa districts is progressing slowly. The Annamayya project, washed away in the 2021 floods, is set to be redesigned for 787 crores. Following the bifurcation, disputes with Telangana regarding the allocation of Krishna and Godavari waters continue to dog the state. Power Thermal, hydel and renewable power plants supply power to the state. The installed capacity share of the state in the public sector generating stations was 7,245 MW. The private sector installed capacity was 9,370 MW, which includes an independent power producer capacity of 1,961 MW. The total installed capacity was 16,615 MW. Peak power demand for the state in 2021–22 was 12,032 MW and per capita consumption was 1,285 kilowatt hours. The energy consumed was 68,972 million units. Energy consumption increased from 54,555 MU in 2018–19 to 69,113 MU in 2023–24, at a growth rate of 4.8% which is among the lowest in the country. The per capita electricity consumption of AP. Increased by only 123 kWh in the same period when there was an increase of 146 kWh at the national level. The reasons were because of steep tariff increases and re-imposing power cuts as there was a delay in commissioning of the Polavaram hydro-electric power project (960 MW), Sri Damodaram Sanjeevaiah thermal power station (Krishnapatnam) stage-II unit-3 (800 MW) and Dr. Narla Tata Rao thermal power station stage-V unit-8 (800 MW) stations. Healthcare The health infrastructure consists of 13 district hospitals, 28 sub-district hospitals, and 6,049 urban and rural health centres as of 2019–20. Doorstep healthcare support services are provided through 42,060 Accredited social health activist(ASHA) workers as of July 2019. The 108 service provides fast emergency management services by shifting patients to a nearby healthcare facility. The 104 service provides health care services at the doorstep of villages through mobile medical units that visit at least once a month. All the poor families are covered by the free state health insurance scheme up to a limit of ₹2,500,000 (US$26,000). The scheme serves 42.5 million people. The services are provided in government and private hospitals under the network. During 2014–2018, though the nominal mean claim amount of beneficiaries went up significantly, it decreased after accounting for inflation. Mortality rates have significantly decreased, which indicates better outcomes are being achieved at a lower cost. Out of 2,700 private hospitals registered under the state health insurance scheme, 540 (20%) are speciality hospitals. The number of patients treated under the state health insurance scheme increased from 1.2 million in 2022–23 to 1.39 million in 2023–24. whereas the budget remained constant at ₹3,350 crore. The National family health survey-5 conducted in 2019–21 data provided an insight into the economic and health status of households. Housing, electricity, clean fuel, access to toilets, mobile phone usage, and bank account access were available for more than 85% of households. Piped water facilities were available for only 22% of households. The state health insurance scheme, the employee health scheme, the Rashtriya swasthya bima yojana, the Employees' state insurance scheme, and the Central government health scheme covered 70% of households with at least one member covered. Banking As of 31 March 2023, there are 33 private sector banks, 12 public sector banks, three rural banks, three small finance banks, three payment banks, one cooperative bank, and one state financial corporation operating in the state. The total number of branches is 7,881. As of September 2022, Banks have deposits amounting to ₹435,183.49 crore (US$46 billion) and extended credit amounting to ₹628,134.9 crore (US$66 billion), with credit deposit ratio of 144% against Reserve Bank of India norm of 60%. Primary sector advances amounted to 60.13% of total bank credit. Till March 2011, the microfinance industry flourished in united Andhra Pradesh with a share of 65% of pan India gross loans. Due to state regulation enacted in 2010, the loan portfolio shrank to 0.8% in Andhra Pradesh as of 31 March 2023. With the court deciding against state regulation, the industry is likely to pick up again. Education Primary and secondary school education is imparted by government and private schools, regulated by the school education department of the state. The government decided to stop financial aid to aided schools with history dating to 1870s, forcing them to handover the schools with the aided staff to government or become private in 2021. As per Unified district information system for education plus (UDISE+) report of 2021–22, there were a total of 8,244,647 students enrolled in 61,948 schools. Performance of rural students on reading, arithmetic skills in grades 1–8 declined during 2018–2022 partly attributed to Covid outbreak. As an example, for the reading assessment in Class VIII students, it nosedived 67% in 2022 from over 78% in 2018. However, the student enrolment at government schools improved from 63.2% to 71%. In the March 2024 secondary school certificate (SSC) exam 616,615 students appeared in the regular stream. Parvathipuram-Manyam district achieved the highest pass percentage of 96.37 among districts. The overall pass percentage was 86.69%, an increase of 14.43% over the previous year, with 100% in 2,803 schools. In intermediate (higher secondary) examinations held in March 2024, 393,757 students appeared. The pass percentage was 78%, which is an increase of 7% over the previous year. The state initiated education reforms in 2020 by creating six types of schools: satellite foundation schools (pre-primary), foundational schools (pre-primary – class II), foundational school plus (pre-primary – class V), pre-high school (class III – class VII/VIII), high school (class III – class X), and high school plus (class III – class XII). The transition to English-medium education in all government schools was started in the academic year 2020–2021. It is expected to reach completion by 2024–25. Affiliation of 1,000 government schools to the Central Board of Secondary Education in 2022–23 was done as an initial step. The state government went ahead with the English medium based on the parents survey despite protests and court cases. The state initiative is being funded in part by a loan from the World Bank to the tune of $250 million over 2021–2026 through the "Supporting Andhra's learning transformation" project to improve the learning outcomes of children up to class II level. As of 2023, there are 169 government-aided degree colleges and 55 private-aided degree colleges in the state. National assessment and accreditation council grades were awarded to 66 government colleges and 48 private-aided colleges. There are 85 government-aided and 175 private polytechnic colleges with a sanctioned strength of 75,906 students. In the category of technical education, there are 685 institutions offering diploma, undergraduate, and postgraduate Visakhapatnamthe courses, with an intake of 299,608. The AP state council of higher education organises various entrance tests for different streams and conducts counselling for admissions. The AP state skill development corporation is set up to support skill development and placement for the educated. As of 2021, there are a total of 36 universities: three central universities, 23 state public universities, six state private universities, and four deemed universities. Andhra University is the oldest of the universities in the state, established in 1926. The government established Rajiv Gandhi university of knowledge technologies in 2008 to cater to the education needs of the rural youth of the state. NTR University of health sciences oversees medical education in 348 affiliated colleges spanning the entire range from traditional medicine to modern medicine. The public universities, including the legacy universities such as Andhra, Sri Venkateswara, and Nagarjuna, are suffering from a severe fund crunch and staff shortage, managing with only 20% of sanctioned full-time staff. KL University bagged the 50th rank, while Andhra university bagged the 76th rank in the overall category of India rankings for 2023 as per the national institute ranking framework of the union ministry of education in which 2,478 institutions, including 242 institutions from the state, participated. The gross enrolment ratio (GER) in higher education for the age group 18–23 for the state was at 35.2% for the year 2019–20, which comparing favourably with the GER for all of India at 27.1%. With a female GER of 35.3 and a male GER of 38.2, the Gender Parity Index was 0.84. The corresponding ratio for India was 1.01. There were 510 industrial training institutes (ITI) in 2020–21 in Andhra Pradesh, with 82 under government management and 417 under private management. The total available seats in 2021 were 93,280, out of which 48.90% were filled. In 2020, 10,053 students completed ITI. The state has 2,510 public libraries, including four regional libraries and 13 district central libraries under government management. Saraswata Niketanam at Vetapalem in Bapatla district, one of the oldest libraries established under private management in 1918, is losing its attraction as the Internet spreads. The government is planning to develop digital libraries at the village panchayat level. Media The total number of registered newspapers and periodicals in the state for the years 2020–21 was 5,798. There were 1,645 dailies, 817 weeklies, 2,431 monthlies, and 623 fortnightlies. Telugu dailies number 787 with a circulation of 9,911,005, while English dailies account for 103 with a circulation of 1,646,453. Eenadu, Sakshi, and Andhra Jyothi are the top three Telugu daily newspapers in terms of circulation in India and are also the top three Telugu news sites. BBC Telugu news was launched on 2 October 2017. Several privately owned news media outlets are considered biased towards specific political parties in the state. There were 23 news channels, 10 general entertainment channels, two health channels, six religious channels, two other channels, and two cable distribution channels, for a total of 45 channels empanelled by the Andhra Pradesh information and public relations department. As of 2019, Akashvani previously known as All India Radio, operates 3 MW, 17 FM transmitters from 14 locations in the state. It reaches 99% of the area and 99.5% of the population. Akashvani's FM coverage alone reaches 36% of the area and 45% of the population. Five private operators run 13 FM stations, with Red FM operating from five locations. Sports Traditional games played during childhood include Dagudu Mootalu (Hide and seek), Tokkudu Billa, Yedu Penkulata, Vamanaguntalu, Chadarangam (Chess), Puli Joodam, Ashta Chamma, Vaikuntapali (Snakes and ladders), Nalugu Stambalata, and Nalugu ralla aata. Karra samu (stick fight) is a traditional martial art form of the state. It is a form of self-defence to prevent thefts and robbery in villages. It is a discipline in the national sports, though it is not recognised for the sports quota category of reservations in Andhra Pradesh. Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh is the governing body that looks after the infrastructure development, coaching, and administration of sports promotion schemes. Sports authority of India (SAI) operates three SAI Training centres in Andhra Pradesh as of 2022. Dr. YSR Sports School, Putlampalli, Kadapa district was selected for upgradation as Khelo India centre of excellence in 2021. Andhra Cricket Visakhapatnam District Association cricket Association (ACA-VDCA) stadium in Visakhapatnam is known for hosting international cricket matches. Pullela Gopichand is a former Indian badminton player. He won the All England Open Badminton Championships in 2001, becoming the second Indian to win after Prakash Padukone. P. V. Sindhu is one of India's most successful athletes, having won medals in major tournaments like the Olympics and the BWF circuit, including a gold at the 2019 World Championships. She is the first Indian to become a badminton world champion and only the second to win two consecutive Olympic medals. Karnam Malleswari is the first female Indian to win an Olympic medal. She won bronze medal in 69 kg weightlifting event at 2000 Olympics games. Srikanth Kidambi, a badminton player, is the first Indian to reach the world championships final in 2021 in the men's singles and win a silver medal. The state secured 16 medals at the 36th national games held in 2022. It was ranked 21st in the competition. The state sportpersons won 11 medals in Tennis, Archery, Badminton, Athletics, Chess and Cricket disciplines in the 19th Asian games held in China in 2022. The state was ranked at 13th spot in the sixth edition of Khelo India youth games-2023, by winning 27 medals. See also Outline of Andhra Pradesh Disputes between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Notes References Bibliography External links Government Official website General information Geographic data related to Andhra Pradesh at OpenStreetMap