Telangana: Polytechnic JAC alleges government plans commercial use of college assets

The Telangana Polytechnic Joint Action Committee has opposed the proposed merger of polytechnic colleges with the Young India Skills University, alleging that college assets could be used for commercial purposes and warning that the move may affect approvals and affordable technical education.

Hyderabad: The Telangana Polytechnic Joint Action Committee (TP JAC) alleged the State government is eying vast assets of polytechnic colleges for commercial development under the aegis of the Young India Skills University (YISU) that has been established under public private partnership. The committee expressed concerns over future requirements of institutions if the lands are used for commercial development.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, TP-JAC Chairman M Nagaraju said the government in the YISU Act has mentioned that asserts of the polytechnics will be brought under the control of the university, allowing it to use them for any activity, including commercial.

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“The university and its schools can generate income from any commercial activity utilising its infrastructure, resources and ecosystem as the Board of Governors may determine as appropriate for self-sufficiency, sustainability and future development of the industry,” he read out from the Act.

Nagaraju said the polytechnic institutions require labs, classrooms, research centres, incubation centres, playgrounds and hostels but they are not places for commercial activity. “If the asserts are taken away, the AICTE may not grant approvals for the colleges next year citing dearth of minimum requirements and without AICTE approval diplomas will not have validity,” he said.

TP JAC convener Suresh said diplomas lay the foundation for the technical education for students and wondered why the government wants to destroy the system, which prevailed for the last seven decades.

So far, the government has not come out with a roadmap for merger of the polytechnics with the YISU, he said, adding that the government’s intention appears to be developing a private university with the government funds.

TP JAC Secretary General Shravan Kumar Goud said government polytechnics have been providing quality technical education at an affordable cost to students from rural, middle-class, and economically disadvantaged families.

“A student can complete a diploma in just Rs.15,000. If the polytechnics are merged with the university, fees will go up exponentially as the fee is decided by the varsity board of governors. The polytechnic education will be out of bounds for students from rural and economically weaker sections,” he said.

While welcoming the government decision to constitute a high-level committee to hold talks with stakeholders, the polytechnic staff demanded the government either revoke the GO MS 97 or scrap the 4th point – “All polytechnic colleges shall be brought under the YISU framework and ecosystem” – from the order.