Address VCs concerns on funds and recruitment, BJP tells govt.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called upon the State government to urgently respond to the concerns raised by Vice-Chancellors over severe faculty shortages and inadequate funding in universities. The party warned that continued neglect would push the higher education system into an irreversible crisis.

“Two years have passed since the Congress government came to power but is yet to fulfil the assurances made to the education sector in terms of funds, recruitment or infrastructure and the recent meeting of Vice Chancellors (VCs) has exposed the failures,” charged State party vice president Kasam Venkateshwarlu at the State office.

Addressing a press conference, he claimed that the VCs meeting has been ‘historic’ as they had unanimously expressed their dissent on issues related to the education system. The education sector has ‘collapsed’ with the just 7.6% budget allocation and most varsities not even having executive councils.

“Revanth Reddy government had announced ₹1,000 crore for Osmania University. Where are the actual allocations? A committee led by former MP K. Keshav Rao and a Cabinet sub-committee headed by Industries & IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu are yet to submit their reports. What is the Education Commission doing?,” he questioned.

The BJP leader pointed out that Telangana was formed on the issues of education, jobs and water but the current government, after making many promises, has been evading accountability and playing with the future of students and teachers.

If the KCR government ‘destroyed’ the education sector, the Revanth Reddy government is completely ‘ruining’ the higher education. When VCs are pleading funds for basic infrastructure and has made it clear that varsities cannot run with contract and part-time lecturers, it laid bare the pathetic the condition of universities in the State, he said.

The government is not paying fee reimbursement for degree colleges even while the Congress leaders speak of fee regulation, turning schools into talent hubs, upgrading polytechnic colleges, internships, and industry training. But none of these have been implemented, he maintained.

Mr. Venkateshwarlu urged the government to act upon the anguish expressed by the VCs and take steps to adopt the National Education Policy (NEC). The issues raised by VCs should be put up for discussion in the winter Assembly session and the government must fulfil its responsibility to save the education system, he added.