Private professional colleges in Telangana are gearing up for a significant protest on November 6, bringing together an estimated 100,000 staff members. This demonstration aims to shed light on the severe struggles faced by these institutions and the uncertain future of higher education in the state, primarily due to the government’s failure to disburse crucial fee reimbursement funds.
Starting November 3, a wide range of professional colleges – encompassing Engineering, Pharmacy, MBA, MCA, BEd, and Nursing programs – will shut down indefinitely. N. Ramesh Babu, chairman of the Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Institutions (FATHI), stated that this drastic step is a direct consequence of the government’s outstanding fee reimbursement, which has made it impossible for these institutions to operate.
During a recent press conference, FATHI announced these closures and planned protests, emphasizing that they were left with no other viable option. The federation also appealed to universities to postpone any examinations scheduled during this period, recognizing that the colleges would be non-operational.
Alijapur Srinivas, a FATHI representative, highlighted a previous commitment from Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu to release ₹1,200 crore in dues before the Deepavali festival. However, only ₹300 crore has been disbursed. Srinivas expressed concern that attempts to secure the remaining promised funds have been met with threats of a vigilance probe from the government, which he described as a direct intimidation tactic against colleges seeking their rightful payments.
FATHI representatives reiterated that the government’s total outstanding fee reimbursement amounts to a staggering ₹10,000 crore. They firmly demanded that these significant dues be cleared first, assuring that they would then have no objections to any subsequent vigilance investigations.