A day after closing their gates in protest against the state government’s delay in releasing fee reimbursement dues, around 2,000 private professional colleges on Tuesday boycotted semester-II exams.

According to data from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTUH), 52 pharmacy colleges affiliated with the university boycotted the exams, while nine government-run colleges conducted them as scheduled. However, turnout was dismal, with only about 12% of students appearing.

A JNTUH official said that the pharmacy exams would continue as per the schedule despite the boycott.

The Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Institutions (FATHI) said it would continue the strike and boycott the remaining exams until the government releases at least 50% of the pending fee amount and announces a clear roadmap for clearing the balance.

Speaking to TNIE, Dr Bojja Suryanarayana Reddy, president of the Telangana Private Degree and PG Colleges Management Association and member of FATHI, said, “We are not aware of the government’s decision to form a committee. Instead of clearing the arrears, the government has ordered a vigilance probe into private colleges and set up yet another committee — we fail to understand why.”

The government had earlier promised to release `1,200 crore in pending dues before Diwali, but only `300 crore has been disbursed so far.

On the second day of the protest, several student organisations staged dharnas, demanding the immediate release of the funds.

In Karimnagar, police detained SFI activists who tried to storm the residence of Minister Ponnam Prabhakar.

15-member panel set up for fee reimbursement scheme

The Telangana government has formed a 15-member committee to explore sustainable funding for the state’s fee reimbursement scheme and set up a dedicated institutional mechanism.

Headed by Special Chief Secretary (Welfare) Sabyasachi Ghosh and co-chaired by Principal Secretary (Finance) Sandeep Kumar Sultania, the panel includes officials from key welfare departments, education authorities, and academics such as Prof Kancha Ilaiah and Prof Kodandaram, along with three FATHI representatives.

Tasked with developing a “Trust Bank” model to ensure financial sustainability, the committee will collect transparent inputs, frame a viable policy, and submit its report within three months.

(Article written by Meghna Math of The New Indian Express)