Hyderabad, June 30: The state government’s move to affiliate all professional colleges in Medak district to Telangana University (TU) in Nizamabad district was strongly opposed by Cabinet ministers – Geeta Reddy and Sunitha Lakshma Reddy – besides TRS senior leader T Harish Rao who hails from the district.
The result: Decision withdrawn! In March, the department of Higher Education has decided to affiliate all the private, aided, unaided and government colleges in Adilabad, Medak and Nizamabad districts to TU.
A similar decision was taken with respect to all the new universities, which were started three year ago during the regime of former chief minister late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
Sources in Telangana University said all the public representatives of the district including the ministers, legislators and leaders of all the political parties lobbied with Chief Minister K Rosaiah. The Chief Minister who came under severe pressure ordered for scrapping of the order immediately.
Besides the public representatives, members of various professional colleges have also represented against the move. “Representations have been received from various associations to retain colleges located in Medak district under the jurisdiction of Osmania University and not to affiliate them to Telangana University,’’ Principal Secretary (Higher Education) CR Biswal said.
Till now all the colleges in Medak district were affiliated to Osmania University. He said that after careful examination of the requests a decision was taken to continue the colleges in Medak district under the affiliation of Osmania University.
Though the new universities were started three years ago, they were powerless as government had not been providing funds and powers to improve the quality and brand of the universities.
Sources said that keeping in view of the diminishing preference for the new universities among the students, the state government has decided to give the new universities the much-needed power to affiliate all the professional colleges.
But stiff resistance came from locals referring that TU was located far from Medak district when compared to OU.
Besides they were also concerned about the poor brand value of TU compared to Osmania University. The fate of TU is such that it had no Vice-Chancellor since November 9 last.
–Agencies