Osmania University centenary festivities likely to be a low key affair. Here's why 

Osmania University Centenary Celebration Closing Ceremony scheduled on April 24 and 25 is likely to be a low-key affair with no high profile leader or politician attending it. In fact, even Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Governor ESL Narasimhan, who were present in the opening ceremony of the celebrations last year, will not be invited fo the event, confirmed Vice-Chancellor prof S Ramchandram. A conference on higher education with V-Cs of universities is likely to be the high point of the event. UGC chairman BP Singh has also been invited. Apart from the conference, OU plans to conduct a host of competitions and cultural events to mark the end of the centenary year.

Tthe V-C of the university said that the closing programme will have invitees with academic and scientific temperament. “We have consciously decided to make the two-day event an academic programme where scientists and academicians will be invited because OU is an academic space. On the first day, there will be a seminar on higher education and on day two, cultural programmes will be held,” the V-C said and added that they “plan to have a grand closing ceremony”.

Varsity still planning for the event

Meanwhile, the administration’s claim of a grand closing ceremony belies the reality. With just a fortnight left for the closing ceremony, the university is still in the planning for the event, the list of invitees is still being prepared and confirmation is awaited from those already invited. Sources in the university said that the administration has no choice but to keep the event low-key to avoid embarrassment to the TRS government. Inviting the Prime Minister or Vice-President would entail certain protocols, like the CM being present to welcome them. In view of the conflicting political stand, it would have led to complications.

The source added that in fact, a verbal invitation had already been accepted by the Vice President Venkaiah Naidu earlier but no formal invitation was sent later. “This is why OU also pulled out from hosting the Indian Science Congress (ISC). The ISC was inaugurated by the Prime Minister and as per the protocol, CM would have to be there. But KCR did not want to share the stage with PM so the V-C was forced to withdraw from hosting the event,” said.

Staff disappointed

The staff of the university is also disappointed at the poor show by the University in its centenary year. Battu Satyanarayana, president, Osmania University Teachers Association alleged that the higher education seminar scheduled for the closing ceremony is nothing extraordinary.“In addition to losing out on the historic moment of hosting the ISC, the only thing it has done is hold some lacklustre seminars in the last one year, which incidentally is lower than the number of seminars and symposium organised every year,” he said.

The professor also rued that no developmental activity has happened. Of the  INR 200 crore allocated, only `50 crore was released by the government. “The remaining amount has lapsed because they could not undertake any works during the financial year,” he said. Students also feel that the university has failed them. “No student had imagined such centenary year wherein the inaugural, the CM doesn’t speak and in the closing ceremony, he isn’t invited. The government and administration have done nothing to make us feel proud during this historic year,” said Krishank  Manne, a student leader.