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KL University

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KL University
Other name
K L Deemed to be University
Former name
Koneru Lakshmaiah University
TypeDeemed to be University
Established1980
ChancellorKoneru Satyanarayana
PresidentKoneru Satyanarayana[1]
Vice-ChancellorG. Pardha Saradhi Varma[1]
Location
Green Fields
,
Vaddeswaram, Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad, Telangana
,
522502
,
India

16°26′32″N 80°37′21″E / 16.44222°N 80.62250°E / 16.44222; 80.62250
Campus
  • KLEF Vijayawada: 0.404686 km2 (100 acres)
    KLEF Hyderabad (temporary campus): 0.09290304 km2 (23 acres)
LanguageEnglish
Colours  Red
Websitekluniversity.in
Map

K L University, formerly Koneru Lakshmaiah Educational Foundation, is an Indian private Deemed University, located in Vaddeswaram, Andhra Pradesh, and Hyderabad, Telangana, India.[2] Founded in 1980 as Koneru Lakshmaiah College of Engineering, it consists of eight schools, offering academic programs at UG, PG, doctoral, and post-doctoral industry-focused courses.[3]

As of 2025, the university has been barred from NAAC accreditation for 5 years after reports of bribing the assessor team to receive favourable ranking.[2] Despite that, it is somehow ranked 35th among engineering colleges, 46th among overall universities, and 70th in Management by the NIRF 2025 Rankings.[4][5][6]

History

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KLEF was established in 1980 at Vaddeswaram as K L College of Engineering (KLCE). It became autonomous in 2006 and was recognized as deemed to be university in 2009, known as K L University.[7] Following the University Grants Commission's warning to 123 deemed institutes, not to use "university" in the name[8] it was renamed Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF). In 2019, it was renamed K L Deemed to be University.[9]

Location

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Koneru Lakshmaiah Deemed to be University is situated in a 100-acre (40 ha) site adjacent to Buckingham Canal, and is about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from Vijayawada[10] in Krishna district and 33 kilometres (21 mi) from Guntur. The university is in Guntur district.

Schools

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KLEF includes the following schools:[11]

  • K L College of Engineering
  • K L School of Science & Humanities
  • K L School of Architecture
  • K L School of Management
  • K L School of Fine Arts
  • K L School of Commerce
  • K L School of Pharmacy
  • K L School of Law
  • K L School of Agriculture
  • Center for Distance and Online Education

Rankings

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In the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation has been ranked 40th overall in India,[12] 22nd among universities,[13] 79th in the management category,[14] and 35th in engineering.[15]

University rankings
Engineering – India
NIRF (2024)[16]35

Controversies

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NAAC rating bribery case

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KL University became the center of a bribery investigation after the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested the chairman and six members of a National Assessment and Accreditation Council Inspection Committee on 1 February 2025. The arrests were made over allegations that bribes were paid to secure a favorable NAAC accreditation rating. The CBI conducted raids across 20 locations in India, including Chennai, Bangalore, and New Delhi, recovering ₹3,700,000 (US$39,000) in cash, gold, mobile phones, and laptops.[17]

The alleged bribery was traced back to office bearers of KL University, leading to the arrest of several key individuals linked to the institution, including:[18]

  • G P Saradhi Varma – Vice-Chancellor, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (KLEF), Guntur
  • Koneru Raja Hareen – Vice-President, KLEF
  • A Ramakrishna – Director, KL University, Hyderabad campus

Land fraud case

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In February 2025, a complaint was registered against University Chairman Koneru Satyanarayana and his relative Nagalingeswara Rao for fraudulently registering an individual's 1.10-acre land in their name. They were summoned by the police in connection with the case. A court directed the police to investigate.[19]

Incident involving fake degrees

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In June 2025, Indian authorities at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport intercepted individuals using fake Bachelor of Technology degrees purportedly from Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation (among other institutions). One case involved a student from Guntur who allegedly paid ₹40,000 (US$420) to an agent for a fabricated KL University degree to support a US visa application. While this points more to a broader fake certificate racket using the university's name, it has been associated with KL University in media reports.[20]

Campus deaths

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In December 2025, a first-year engineering student, Vari Suresh Reddy was found dead in a university hostel in mysterious circumstances. This incident prompted protests and demands for a thorough investigation.[21] Also, this incident follows a previous, separate case on the KLU campus in February 2024, where a third-year engineering student, Vamshi Sai Krishna, was found dead.[22]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Leadership". klef.edu.in. KL Deemed to be University. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Week after CBI arrested 10 in NAAC 'bribery scam', Andhra university at centre of row barred from accreditation for 5 years". The Indian Express. 8 February 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
  3. ^ "Welcome to KLEF Deemed to be University". www.kluniversity.in. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  4. ^ "India Rankings 2025: Engineering". National Institutional Ranking Framework. Ministry of Education, Government of India. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  5. ^ "India Rankings 2025: University". National Institutional Ranking Framework. Ministry of Education, Government of India. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  6. ^ "India Rankings 2025: Management". National Institutional Ranking Framework. Ministry of Education, Government of India. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  7. ^ "Inception & History". klef.edu.in. KL Deemed to be University. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  8. ^ Pandey, Neelam (29 November 2017). "UGC warning to institutes: Drop 'university' from name or lose 'deemed' status". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  9. ^ "UGC Issued Warning Against Deemed Universities: Use of word 'University' Prohibited, Check List of 127 Deemed Universities Recognised by UGC". Jagranjosh.com. 29 May 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021..
  10. ^ "K L UNIVERSITY · Vaddeswaram, Andhra Pradesh 522303, India". K L UNIVERSITY · Vaddeswaram, Andhra Pradesh 522303, India. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Schools A-Z". klef.edu.in. KL Deemed to be University. Archived from the original on 15 December 2019. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  12. ^ "NIRF INDIA 2024".
  13. ^ "university ranking 2024".
  14. ^ "management rankings 2024".
  15. ^ "NIRF India Rankings 2024: Engineering".
  16. ^ "National Institutional Ranking Framework 2024 (Engineering)". National Institutional Ranking Framework. Ministry of Education. 12 August 2024.
  17. ^ Srinivas, Rajulapudi (2 February 2025). "KLEF management charged with colluding with NAAC team to get good ranking". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  18. ^ Service, Express News (2 February 2025). "KLEF top brass arrested in NAAC bribery case". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  19. ^ Rasala, Madhu (2 February 2025). "KL University chairman summoned by cops in land fraud case". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  20. ^ Buddi, Mahesh (22 June 2025). "Academic fraud: Students with fake degrees clear US, UK visa interviews; caught at Hyderabad airport". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  21. ^ Srinivas, Rajulapudi (2 December 2025). "Engineering student found dead in KLU hostel". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  22. ^ Srinivas, Rajulapudi (11 February 2024). "Engineering student found dead on KLU campus in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
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