Orient Flights Aviation Academy to Launch Andhra Pradesh's First Pilot Training Centre in Kurnool
Andhra Pradesh's first dedicated pilot training centre is preparing to open in Kurnool, a Rs 100 crore facility built by a Mysuru-based aviation academy to DGCA standards. The week also brought ICAR's research management institute to Kurnool to train farm producer organisations on export readiness, a political visit by former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and a controversy in the district's education sector over a teacher appointed without the required eligibility certificate.
🏢 Orient Flights Aviation Academy's Rs 100 Crore Pilot Training Centre to Open in Kurnool
Andhra Pradesh's first dedicated pilot training centre is set to launch in Kurnool, built by Orient Flights Aviation Academy, a Mysuru-based organisation that invested Rs 100 crore in the facility, ETV Bharat reported. The centre has been constructed in compliance with DGCA norms, ensuring training meets internationally accepted aviation standards. Sources from the academy indicated that final arrangements were being completed ahead of the formal inauguration. The facility will allow aspiring pilots from Andhra Pradesh to pursue licensed aviation training within their home state, removing the need to travel to centres elsewhere in India or abroad. The launch is expected to generate employment in Kurnool's aviation support ecosystem and to position the city as a hub for professional aviation education in the region. Officials and aviation sector observers view the Kurnool facility as a significant development given India's civil aviation sector expansion and the steadily increasing demand for qualified commercial pilots across the country. [5]
🗳️ YSRCP President and Former CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Announces Visit to Kurnool
YSRCP President and former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy announced a visit to Kurnool, ANI reported. The trip is part of ongoing political engagement by the YSRCP in the state, where the party lost power in the 2024 assembly elections. Kurnool holds strategic importance as a major city in the Rayalaseema region and has historically been a competitive arena for both ruling and opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh. Former Chief Minister Reddy's outreach through district visits has been a consistent element of the YSRCP's efforts to maintain its political base and public presence in the post-election period. Kurnool's large agricultural population and its status as a significant administrative and historical centre make the district an important constituency for any party seeking relevance in Rayalaseema. Details of the specific agenda and outcomes of the visit were expected to receive further coverage from regional media in the days following the trip. [8]
🎓 ICAR-NAARM Trains Kurnool Farm Producer Organisations on Agricultural Export Readiness
ICAR's National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, based in Hyderabad, organised a capacity-building programme on export readiness for farmer producer organisations at Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, in collaboration with IIPM Bengaluru and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, ICAR reported. The programme equipped FPO members with knowledge of export procedures, quality compliance standards, market access pathways, and documentation requirements for agricultural commodities. Kurnool district's agrarian economy spans crops including cotton, groundnut, pulses, and horticultural produce, all of which carry significant export potential if producers can navigate certification and regulatory requirements. The training forms part of a broader national push to integrate farmer producer organisations into global agricultural supply chains, enabling small and marginal farmers to access international markets and improve farm income. Supporting FPO export readiness is seen as a key mechanism for enhancing rural incomes in agricultural districts like Kurnool. [4]
🎓 Kurnool Teacher Appointed Under Sports Quota Without Mandatory TET Certificate, DEO Confirms
A teacher in Kurnool district was found to have been recruited under the sports quota without holding the mandatory Teacher Eligibility Test certificate, the New Indian Express reported, with confirmation from the District Education Officer. Under prescribed recruitment norms in Andhra Pradesh, candidates appointed to teaching posts — including those selected through sports quotas — are required to possess a valid TET qualification. The DEO's confirmation raised questions about oversight in the recruitment process and whether adequate verification checks were in place at the time of appointment. Education advocates and opposition groups called for a review of all sports-quota appointments in the district to identify any similar irregularities. The case highlights recurring concerns about adherence to minimum qualification standards in government teacher hiring, an issue that has surfaced in several Indian states where quota-based appointments can proceed without sufficient scrutiny of all mandatory credential requirements. [7]
Sources: [5] ETV Bharat · [8] ANI News · [4] Indian Council Of Agricultural Research · [7] The New Indian Express