Andhra Cabinet Clears Special NIA Court in Visakhapatnam, Approves Centres of Excellence for Students

Amaravati, July 2026 : The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Friday approved the establishment of a dedicated Special Court in Visakhapatnam to exclusively hear cases registered under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, 2008. The move is aimed at ensuring the speedy and time-bound disposal of sensitive cases related to national security.

The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting held at the State Secretariat, where several key proposals concerning the Law and Social Welfare Departments also received approval.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Minister for Law and Minority Welfare NMD Farooq said the decision follows directions issued by the Supreme Court, which had instructed all states to establish exclusive NIA courts for the effective and expeditious trial of cases registered under the National Investigation Agency Act.

At present, Andhra Pradesh has two notified courts dealing with NIA-related matters—one in Vijayawada and another in Visakhapatnam. However, Farooq noted that of the 20 NIA cases currently pending in the state, 19 are being heard by the Court of the 3rd Additional District and Sessions Judge in Visakhapatnam, while only one case is pending before the 2nd Additional District and Sessions Judge in Vijayawada.

Given the heavy concentration of NIA cases in Visakhapatnam, the Andhra Pradesh High Court recommended the establishment of a separate Special Court at the District and Sessions Judge level with jurisdiction across the entire state. Accepting the recommendation, the Cabinet approved the proposal to set up the new court in Visakhapatnam.

To ensure its smooth functioning, the government also sanctioned 16 posts, including that of a Special Judge, along with the necessary judicial and administrative staff required to handle the specialised court’s operations.

In another significant decision concerning the judiciary, the Cabinet approved the creation of the post of Registrar (Court Case and Management) in the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The position, which will carry the rank of a District Judge, will be established on a regular basis to strengthen court administration and improve case management.

The Cabinet also turned its focus to education and social welfare by approving the establishment of three Centres of Excellence under the Social Welfare Department to provide high-quality education and competitive examination coaching to students from economically weaker sections.

Social Welfare Minister Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy said the initiative is designed to offer underprivileged students access to corporate-level educational facilities, enabling them to compete successfully in national-level entrance examinations.

The Centres of Excellence will begin functioning from the current academic year at Madhurawada in Visakhapatnam district, Tadikonda in Guntur district, and Kota in Tirupati district.

Each centre will admit 300 students, equally divided between first- and second-year Intermediate classes. Admissions will include 150 boys and 150 girls, with students enrolled in both Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry (MPC) and Biology, Physics and Chemistry (BiPC) streams.

Apart from regular Intermediate education, students will receive free, specialised coaching for highly competitive entrance examinations such as IIT-JEE, NEET, and other national-level tests, significantly enhancing their opportunities for admission into premier educational institutions.

The government has also decided to reserve 50 per cent of the seats for girl students, reaffirming its commitment to promoting gender equality in education and encouraging greater participation of women in higher studies and professional careers.

To ensure professional management and quality standards, the government will invite tenders to select qualified agencies to operate the Centres of Excellence. However, overall supervision, monitoring and policy oversight will remain with the state government to ensure accountability and maintain educational standards.

The Cabinet decisions reflect the Andhra Pradesh government’s twin focus on strengthening the judicial system through dedicated infrastructure for national security cases while simultaneously investing in quality education to create greater opportunities for talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds.