Telangana Higher Education Council faces criticism over inaction on complaints

Hyderabad: The Telangana Higher Education Council has faced criticism for allegedly failing to act on complaints against private engineering, MBA and MCA colleges.

Student unions and parents accused the Telangana Higher Education Council of functioning like a “post office.” They said officials merely forwarded complaints to universities instead of taking direct action.

Whenever colleges allegedly overcharged fees or denied basic facilities, students approached the council. However, officials reportedly sent the complaints to the concerned universities and waited for replies.

Recently, the council forwarded several complaints from student organisations to the Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad. It did not initiate any independent inquiry, according to student leaders.

In some instances, officials reportedly said they had limited powers when asked for clarification.

Telangana Higher Education Council criticised for delayed response

After receiving letters from the council, universities often took months to respond, student leaders alleged. Meanwhile, college managements allegedly covered up irregularities during the delay.

Two days ago, students of an engineering college in Ibrahimpatnam, Ranga Reddy district, staged a protest. They alleged that the management demanded ₹5,000 for additional books.

Students said they submitted a complaint to the Telangana Higher Education Council. However, they claimed they received no immediate action.

Observers said the council must regulate engineering and management institutions more strictly. They noted that lakhs of students depended on these courses for their future.

Critics questioned why the council was not conducting field inspections. They also asked why it was not imposing penalties on erring colleges.

Some alleged a lack of coordination between education department officials and council authorities. Others claimed internal issues among the chairman, vice-chairman and secretary affected decisions.

Student bodies demanded that the Telangana Higher Education Council change its approach. They urged it to take strict action against institutions violating norms.