Telangana polytechnic students protest YISU merger, demand cancellation of GO 97

Student protests intensified across Telangana against the Congress government’s decision to merge polytechnics with the Young India Skill University under the Shakti Department. Demonstrations were staged in Hyderabad, Secunderabad and Mahabubabad.

Hyderabad: Protests against the Telangana Congress government’s decision to merge the polytechnics with the Young India Skill University (YISU) under the newly formed Shakti department continued on Wednesday, with students from across Hyderabad and Telangana hitting the roads.

Government Polytechnic Ramanthapur students staged a protest in the college premises, while women students demonstrated at Sangeet X Roads in Secunderabad demanding the government to immediately withdraw its decision. They raised concerns over the government reducing polytechnic students to labourers.

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A large number of students also staged a protest at Government Institute of Electronics Secunderabad. Protesters lamented that by merging the polytechnics with the YISU, the government was depriving them of an opportunity to pursue undergraduate engineering as the ECET could be scrapped.

In Mahabubabad district, polytechnic students tried to lay siege to the Collectorate demanding the cancellation of the GO 97. However, the police intervened and stopped the protesters from entering the Collectorate. A tense situation prevailed as students engaged in arguments with police personnel. Students alleged that a police officer grabbed two students by the throat and shoved them back, resulting in breathlessness.