Hyderabad: The state government made a last-minute attempt to prevent a disruption in higher education by holding late-night talks with leaders from private professional colleges on Sunday. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, IT Minister D Sridhar Babu, and Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao led the discussions, aiming to stop the indefinite strike planned for Monday. However, by 10:30 pm, no agreement was reached.
The Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Institutions (FATHI) announced an indefinite strike starting September 15 due to the government’s failure to pay overdue fee reimbursements. At a meeting on Sunday, FATHI also decided to mark Engineer’s Day as a ‘Black Day’. If the strike proceeds, it will shut down all private engineering, pharmacy, nursing, BEd, DEd, and other professional colleges in the state, impacting thousands of students and staff.
FATHI stated that many faculty and staff have not been paid for months, causing difficulties for their families, especially with the Dasara festival approaching. Dr. N Ramesh Babu, Chairman of FATHI, expressed regret for the inconvenience to students and parents but blamed the government for the situation. FATHI presented six key demands to the government:
- Immediate release of Rs 1,200 crore in fee reimbursements before Dasara.
- Clear all overdue payments by December 31, 2025.
- Provide the feasibility report on the proposed Trust Bank by October 31, 2025.
- Issue a Government Order on the new reimbursement system for 2025–26 by year-end.
- Complete fee reimbursement for the 2025–26 academic year by March 31, 2026.
- Unified management of admission policy, fee reimbursement, and fee setting by the government.
Several associations, including the Telangana Engineering & Professional Institutions Management Association, Telangana Pharmacy Colleges Managements Association, and Telangana Private BEd and DEd Colleges Managements Association, are leading this protest.
