Faculty and students at private universities and unaided private colleges in Hyderabad are still facing ongoing problems, even after a change in leadership in the State. The implementation of regulations from various governing bodies like the Telangana State Private Universities Act and the University Grants Commission are being ignored.
S Raghuram, a faculty member at a private engineering college turned university, expressed concerns about the lack of attention to these regulations. State-run universities struggle to launch new courses due to the need for faculty recruitment and infrastructure, while private institutions are more proactive in introducing new programs.
Private colleges have been quick to introduce courses in emerging fields like IoT, Data Sciences, AI, and ML. Some have even replaced existing courses with new ones, which they can offer at a higher price than the regulated fees. Despite having the power to investigate private universities, the State government has not taken action on complaints of irregularities in these institutions.
A former official from the Telangana State Council of Higher Education noted that the government has the authority under the TSPU Act to request reports from private universities. However, there have been few instances of the State addressing complaints about issues like additional fee collections or faculty salary payments. The lack of action has led to protests at some private universities, highlighting the need for greater oversight in the sector.
