Hyderabad: About 4,000 students boycotted classes at the AV College of Arts, Science and Commerce at Domalguda on Friday, the fifth day of their protest against the proposed privatisation of the aided institute. The students raised slogans against the government’s ‘inaction’.
Starting from sending postcards, tying black ribbons to cooking on roads, students were trying to grab the attention of the government. “Certain aided courses are being turned into self-finance courses, which demand more fees. If the fee is Rs 2,000 for an aided course, it is Rs 20,000 for a self-financed course. This is a burden on most of the students who come from poor financial backgrounds,” said a student.
Student leader N. Rakesh said, “All this is a part of privatisation and the government, instead of creating opportunities, is snatching them away by giving way to privatisation.”
An AV College official said, “Some of our surplus staff were redeployed to a government college in 2018. According to the GO No. 890, the surplus staff should be sent to another aided college. However, the commissioner has violated the order and has redeployed the staff to a government college.”
He added that the conversion of courses from aided to self-finance had been done without approval from the Telangana State Council for Higher Education Council (TSCHE) or the Osmania University. The Commissioner of Collegiate Education had taken the decision. Students demanded that aided colleges should not be privatised but should be strengthened for the welfare of several economically marginalised students.
