Hyderabad: The Telangana Human Rights Commission (TGHRC), under the leadership of Chairman Dr. Justice Shamim Akhtar, issued decisive orders on Monday in two separate cases involving the unlawful withholding of students’ original certificates by private colleges.

In the first case, Gautami Degree College in Balanagar was found to have withheld the original certificates and Transfer Certificate (TC) of a BBA graduate, citing pending government scholarship reimbursement. The Commission declared this action a violation of the fundamental right to education under Article 21 of the Constitution. The Chairman and Principal of the college have been summoned to appear before the Commission on August 28. Copies of the order have also been forwarded to the District Collector of Medchal-Malkajgiri and the Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE).

In the second case, Sultan-ul-Uloom Pharmacy College in Banjara Hills failed to comply with TGHRC’s earlier directive issued on August 21, 2025, to release certificates of 17 students. Ten of those students reported non-compliance to the Commission on August 25. In response, the Commission has summoned the Chairman and Principal of the college to appear on August 28 at 11:00 AM.

The Commission reiterated that withholding certificates unjustly deprives students of education and employment opportunities, constituting a clear human rights violation. It warned institutions that continued negligence would invite strict punitive action in future cases.