Telangana Students to Boycott Semesters in Protest Against Fee Delay
Protests intensify as lakhs from SC, ST and BC communities await Rs 9,000 crore in pending dues
Hyderabad: Students have threatened to boycott the semester examinations, which are currently underway, in protest against the government’s delay in releasing scholarship and fee reimbursement funds. While some colleges have postponed exams indefinitely due to the arrears, others that went ahead witnessed a large number of students refusing to appear, citing financial distress.
Thousands of students from the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Backward Class (BC) communities say they will not take the exams until the government clears all dues. Many have already been denied hall tickets or barred from appearing, as colleges struggle to recover payments from the state.
Student associations estimate arrears running into several thousand crores, leaving nearly 14 lakh BC students and thousands of SC and ST students uncertain about continuing their education. Colleges, citing financial strain, have begun pressuring students to pay their share upfront — something most cannot afford.
“Our parents are daily-wage workers. The government’s delay means either we skip exams or drop out,” said K. Mahesh, a degree student staying in a lodge at Ashoknagar.
On Tuesday, thousands of BC students, led by Telangana BC Students’ Association president Vemula Ramakrishna, laid siege to the Telangana State Council of Higher Education office, demanding the immediate release of `9,000 crore in pending dues.
Former minister Srinivas Goud attended the protest, which turned tense as students clashed with police, leading to heavy deployment and traffic chaos in the area. “The government has neglected education. If ministers can take full salaries, why can’t they release funds for students?” said Ramakrishna.
He accused the state of weakening the fee reimbursement scheme through budget cuts and restrictions, warning that students would organise a massive “Vidyarthi March” across Telangana if arrears are not cleared soon.
The Telangana Dalit Samakhya has also raised concerns over the plight of SC students, many of whom have been denied access to exams due to unpaid fees. Its president, B. N. Ram Mohan, urged the government to expedite pending scholarships and enhance allocations in the next state budget. “Education is a right, not a favour. No student should lose a year because files are stuck,” he said.
While the government maintains that a high-level committee has been formed to devise a sustainable model for the reimbursement system, students and college managements remain unconvinced. “Committees don’t clear dues,” said a private college representative. “We’ve been waiting for years, not months.”
As the academic calendar slips further, thousands of students remain caught between postponed exams, unpaid dues, and uncertain futures — unsure whether they can even afford to take the very exams their education depends on.
