Telangana protest might cost students an academic year

Even as student union leaders and political parties are agitating for a separate Telangana state, forcing the city’s universities to stay shut for over a month, thousands of students studying in these universities and their affiliated colleges stand a risk of losing an academic year. JNTU and OU officials admit that if the current situation continues for another 15 days, nothing can be done to salvage the year. If the exams are not held soon, city professors fear the students will have to forego a whole year as they will be behind schedule.

What’s worse is the fact that agitating students are ready to “forego” this academic year for separate statehood and are calling it the “Telangana sadhana year.”

“We have been requesting the students to conduct their protests and attend classes simultaneously. If classes don’t start in the next couple of days, thousands of students might not get their degrees on time this year,” says Prof Sudarshan Rao, Principal, OU Arts college.

Caught in this crossfire are students of 300 engineering colleges and 98 MBA institutions affiliated to JNTU. The university which should have commenced its second semester by now, hasn’t yet completed its first semester exams. Prof. Lal Kishore, rector of JNTU says the chances of salvaging this academic year are slim. “We have lost 40 working days. This will adversely affect the prospects of final year students looking for jobs.”
Students who had plans to go abroad or appear for competitive examinations are also in panic mode.

Y. Kiranmayee, an engineering student of OU College of Technology, says, “From this year onwards, they have permitted third year students to apply for GATE. The exam will have questions from the final year syllabus too. We haven’t even started our second semester classes yet. The political issue that is being debated on is important, but not at the cost of our careers.”

Srinisha Reddy, a final year M.Sc student couldn’t agree more. “After my final year, I plan to take up research. The last semester needs about four months of classes and laboratory work. If we don’t get our degrees on time, our career goals will take a beating.”

B. Ashok, student of VNR College of Engineering says, “To study abroad, we need recommendation letters and graduation certificates. We’ll lose six months if we can’t apply for the current intake.”

Prof Sudharshan Rao, adds, “We don’t mind working overtime to conduct classes in the two weeks of preparatory holidays and summer vacations. But the agitating students should cooperate.”