Hyderabad: Hundreds of students face the risk of reaching academic dead-ends and blighting their employment opportunities, unless the Telangana state government intervenes promptly and corrects the regulatory authorities under its purview.

Concerns over the functioning of private universities in Telangana have intensified due to a lack of oversight, poor regulatory compliance, and systemic neglect. Serious questions have been raised regarding certain Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) operating under the Telangana State Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act of 2018 as they have reportedly been brazenly flouting both state and central regulations. This has negatively impacted faculty welfare and the prospects of students. Additionally, the functioning of deemed universities in the state has become increasingly complicated.

In an interview with ‘The Hans India’, a senior official from the Telangana Higher Education Department described the situation as “unchanged and chaotic,” despite previous warnings issued to some of the errant private universities. “There is no tracking of how many students are being admitted and how many seats have been sanctioned by the regulatory body,” he observed. “They are admitting students, conducting courses, and issuing degrees. This situation requires a serious review,” he amplified.

Multiple such instances have raised concerns over the recurring disregard for mandates from the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), particularly as these regulators have increased their vigilance.

One of the key issues identified is ‘faculty fallout’. This includes alleged failures to comply with salary standards and structured hiring processes. On top of it, basic regulations regarding fee collection and transparency in faculty remuneration are often overlooked. Consequently, students who had previously enrolled, realising the futility of their courses, have resorted to campus protests.

Another area of major concern is ‘course innovation and hidden costs’. Private universities are fiercely competing to have a head start in launching high-demand courses, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Internet of Things (IoT), and Data Sciences, often at premium prices. The costs of these courses are not subject to the oversight of the State Admission and Fee Regulatory Committee. As a result, some institutions have surrendered traditional course seats in favor of new, revenue-generating offerings. Some private higher education institutions have introduced B.Sc. in Agriculture courses due to rising demand and profitability.

Sources shared with ‘The Hans India’ that since the enactment of the Private Universities Act in 2018, “only token notices have been issued; no substantive actions have been taken against the institutions flagged for irregularities.”

It may be noted that the state government had granted permissions to establish two private universities under the 2018 Act, which was amended in 2022.

However, before receiving these permissions, the two universities had admitted students to postgraduate or doctoral programs. The students have since been informed that their degrees would render them ineligible for further education or employment at state universities such as Osmania, JNTU-H, and Kakatiya. Worse still, they are not eligible to take the Telangana Public Service Commission exams or apply for state government positions.

In a previous case, a prominent private university admitted students to B. Tech courses and formed 15 sections, exceeding limits set by AICTE limits. Many of these students later attempted to enroll in M. Tech and MBA programs at state-run universities through management quotas. They were denied admission because their degrees did not meet the eligibility requirements. When the institution challenged these rejections, the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) and the State Education Department (SED) reportedly forewarned them that “litigation could further harm students’ prospects and the university’s credibility”. As a result, the private university chose to remain silent, hoping the issue would fade out, with the wronged students having degrees seeking jobs at least in the private sector.

Faculty and student bodies have repeatedly called for stricter enforcement and transparent accountability mechanisms from state regulatory bodies. The UGC and AICTE have intensified their enforcement initiatives; the UGC has started publishing lists of private universities and deemed-to-be universities under the category of ‘Blacklisted Universities’ to alert students and parents. The AICTE has even gone a step further by imposing penalties for non-compliance.

Elsewhere, the authorities concerned have woken up. For instance, recently the State government of Karnataka imposed a fine of Rs 4 lakh on a private HEI for violating norms.