Telangana polytechnics get three Dasara holidays; TP JAC alleges retaliation over GO 97 protests

The Telangana government has reduced Dasara holidays for polytechnics to three days. The TP JAC alleges the move is retaliation for protests against GO 97, which proposed merging polytechnics with Young India Skills University under a public-private partnership.

Hyderabad:In what appears to be retaliation against students and faculty who protested against GO 97, the Telangana Congress government has slashed Dasara holidays for polytechnics in the State.

Initially, the government declared Dasara holidays from October 15 to 21. However, it revised the schedule to October 18 to 21. With October 18 being a Sunday, polytechnics were granted three days to celebrate the festival. On the other hand, schools and junior colleges were extended a 13 and 12 days of holidays respectively.

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The Telangana Polytechnic Joint Action Committee (TP JAC) said polytechnics were given 10 days of Dasara holidays every year. It demanded that the same practice be followed this year as well.

The JAC alleged that the reduction in holidays was in retaliation against students and staff who protested, demanding the repeal of GO 97. “The polytechnics have already completed the syllabus and compensated for the loss of classwork due to the protest. For opposing and protesting against GO 97, the Dasara vacation has been reduced. Our representations to officials went in vain,” said Shravan Kumar Goud, general secretary of TP JAC.

For more than a month, polytechnic students and staff protested against the government’s GO 97, which merges polytechnics with Young India Skills University (YISU), established under a public-private partnership. Following the protests, the government constituted a high-level committee that held talks with TP JAC and students, and decided to withdraw the decision.