Aided colleges in TS, AP likely to turn private institutions

Hyderabad: Unlike in other southern States, several top educational institutions running on for decades on the State government aid in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are likely to become private institutions in a couple of years.

For example, the 69-year old Badruka College of Commerce (BCC), fondly called as Shriram College of Commerce (SCC) in Hyderabad, is likely to be forced to become a private educational institute. Similar is the fate of several aided colleges like New Science College, Reddy College for Women, Kasturba College in Hyderabad, and few others like those in Khagaznagar and Warangal is hanging in balance.

According to the sources in the Commissioner of Collegiate Education (CCE), there are about 60 aided educational institutions either run by the trusts or education societies across Telangana State.

Speaking to The Hans India, a senior CCE official said "nearly 16 such aided undergraduate colleges affiliated to Osmania University alone are in Hyderabad. Now, most of these colleges wanted to convert into fully private unaided institutions following the withdrawal of aid from the State government."

Similarly, in Andhra Pradesh aided education institutions like Maha Raja College for Women (Vizianagaram), MSN Degree College (Kakinada), SKBR College (Amalapuram) SRVBSJB Maha Ranee College (Peddapuram), St Theresa College for Women (Eluru).

DNR and YN Colleges in Bhimavaram and Narasapura, respectively, Silver Jubilee College in Kurnool, Loyola College and AC college in Krishna and Guntur districts have been known for their contribution.

They are also facing the similar problem. In all, there are about 250 undergraduate and postgraduate colleges in both the Telugu States, and they all have been receiving aid from the State government. Two key decisions of the earlier State government are now forcing them to become fully unaided private institutions.

Clarifying on this, officials said that the TDP government in the United Andhra Pradesh had banned the recruitment in the sanctioned faculty posts in the aided colleges and it is continuing for the last two decades.

Adding to this, "the GO No.35 issued during the Congress government prior to the bifurcation of the State has put the final nail in the coffin of the aided colleges. As per the GO, when a faculty member working in the sanctioned post in an aided college retired or transferred, then, the post would be automatically would get abolished," he said.

The same policies are continuing in Telangana State after the bifurcation of the State. But, the situation of aided colleges in Telangana State is worse than those in AP. Unlike in AP, the faculty members working in the aided posts in the private aided colleges have been transferred to the government colleges in Telangana State during the academic year 2018-19. Following this, the aided colleges have converted the courses into self-financed programmes and now seeking fully non-aided private institutions status.

While the TS and AP are giving step-motherly treatment to the private aided colleges their counterparts in the Southern States continue to treat them as assets. For example, Kerala has the highest number of about 180 private aided colleges.

The Karnataka State is extending aid to about 60 educational institutions affiliated to the Bangalore University alone and the Tamil Nadu government extending its support to about 14 institutions in the Chennai city alone which are affiliated to the Madras University. The aided colleges include the famous Meenakshi College for Women and the others.