Telangana: Future of 35,000 inter students hangs by thread

Around 235 private and corporate junior colleges operating in mixed occupancy buildings are yet to receive TG BIE affiliation for 2024-25.

Hyderabad: The future of over 35,000 intermediate students is hanging by a thread as around 235 private and corporate junior colleges, operating in mixed-occupancy buildings, are yet to receive affiliation from the TG BIE for the academic year 2024-25.

Without affiliation, students cannot register for the Intermediate Public Examinations (IPE) March 2025 and registrations with a late fee of Rs.2,000 conclude on Friday.

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The issue stems from the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education (TG BIE) refusal to grant affiliation to these colleges, which have been operating in the buildings that house college and commercial establishments like shops, as they failed to meet fire safety. These colleges especially failed to obtain a no objection certificate from the Fire department, a critical requirement in order to get board’s affiliation.

Most of these private junior colleges operating in the mixed occupancy buildings are located in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medchal – Malkajgiri districts and a few district towns.

As per the GO 29 issued by the Home department in 2020, all the junior colleges, which are 15 metres in height and exist in the mixed occupancy buildings, must apply to the Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services department seeking fire NoC. However, several colleges failed to receive fire NoC as they did not meet required fire safety norms.

In 2022, the government kept GO 29 in abeyance for two academic years i.e., 2022-23 and 2023-24. The colleges have been directed to take the declaration forms from every student, acknowledging that the junior colleges are currently functioning in a mixed occupancy building and the management is unable to obtain a fire NoC from the concerned department

Making clear to colleges that no further extension will be given, the Board had instructed colleges to shift to a suitable building for the academic year 2024-25. However, the colleges admitted students.

“The second-year students have been permitted to register for the inter exams as they were admitted in 2023-24 when GO 29 was kept in abeyance. The problem is with the first-year students. The Board has already taken up the issue with the government and a decision is expected next week. We have also come to know that these colleges did not take the declaration from students and their parents,” a senior official told ‘Telangana Today’.

If the government denies nod to these colleges, the first-year students will be asked to register for IPE from the government junior colleges and registrations date will be extended as well, the senior official added.