Once a case study for Harvard University, TGSWREIS now faces leadership crisis
The Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society is facing a leadership crisis, with no full-time secretary for months amid frequent bureaucratic transfers. The situation has raised concerns over administrative continuity in managing 268 residential schools and colleges.
Hyderabad: It once drew Harvard University’s attention for scripting success stories from its residential schools. However, now the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TGSWREIS) is facing a leadership crisis to run the 268 institutions.
Frequent transfers and long leaves by several bureaucrats have left the TGSWREIS, which is meant to provide educational opportunities to students from marginalised and downtrodden sections, without a full-time secretary for the past several months, leaving administration in limbo. One of the reasons bureaucrats are not keen on taking up the position, the society staff observes, is a lack of interest among the officers.
Since the Telangana Congress government came into power in December 2023, six bureaucrats have been posted as the TGSWREIS secretary. However, none of them could last long. In fact, one officer served for eight days, and no officer worked more than 1.5 years. Generally, an All India Service officer is given two or three years of posting.
During the previous BRS government, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, US, had taken up a case study on ‘How Telangana Social Welfare Residential Schools are disrupting the status quo in the education sector in India’ in 2019. The then TGSWREIS secretary, Dr RS Praveen Kumar, had transformed the society, establishing specialised schools and CoEs, producing IITians, doctors and sportspersons.
The leadership crisis started unfolding after TGSWREIS secretary and society alumnus Dr E Naveen Nicolas was transferred and posted as the TGPSC secretary in February 2024. While he was said to be keen on continuing in the same post, the government shifted him overnight, citing an urgency to address issues in the TGPSC.
K Seetha Lakshmi, who replaced Dr Nicolas, worked for a little over four months. She was followed by another senior bureaucrat, Alagu Varsini, who served one year and two months before being deputed for the Central services in 2025.
The post again went back to Lakshmi for about eight days and later, S Krishna Aditya, who was then Telangana Board of Intermediate Education Secretary, was handed over additional charge as TGSWREIS Secretary.
In view of the intermediate public examinations, the government relieved Krishna Aditya from additional charge and appointed B Viziendira as the full-time TGSWREIS secretary on February 28.
After working for about a week, Viziendira went on leave citing personal reasons. With the post falling vacant again, Krishna Aditya, who was again handed over additional charge, went on leave after a week, citing personal reasons.
As Viziendira extended the leave, Lakshmi, who was already serving as Telangana Tribal Welfare Residential Educational Institution and SC Welfare Commission, was given additional charge of TGSWREIS secretary.
In the recent transfers, the government posted Viziendira as secretary to the Social Welfare department, with TGSWREIS Secretary and SCD Commissioner posts as full additional charges, leaving the society with no full-time secretary.
Telangana Social Welfare Residential Teachers’ union chairman Dr Rama Laxman, union leaders Balaswamy and Kirti Ravi, said due to additional responsibilities to bureaucrats, there is a lack of focused attention on the development and effective administration of the society. They wanted the government to immediately appoint a full-time secretary.
