Telangana: Six universities ease detention system

HYDERABAD: As many as 26,250 students were detained in the 2016-17 academic year amongst 1,93,586 students who appeared for the exams in state universities for undergraduate courses. Due to the large number of students detained, three universities — Kakatiya University, Mahatma Gandhi University and TS University — are amongst the six universities that have exempted the system. Osmania University is amongst the other three that have not ended the detention system.

Students allege that detention has increased amongst students due to lack of faculty and lack of clarity among the students about Choice Based Credit System (CBCS). Students in the State are opposing the detention system with the argument that until the standards are improved and proper exercise is done, detention would continue. Manoj Sadhula a student from Nizam College said, “Before introducing any new system we ask the government or universities to test-check the same by taking a small sample of colleges and see how it works. Most of the state colleges are lacking the facilities of teaching with many posts lying vacant. There are no proper lab facilities in some of the colleges.”  

He added, “Even the private colleges are there for namesake alone. Universities should ensure that they have quality teaching facilities. Special task force should enforce the enhanced standard of education. There should be clarity in syllabus and CBCS too. Most of the faculty and students are not aware of this. Only then can we go in for the detention system. We will call on the state government and discuss this issue soon!”

Professor Sriram Venkatesh, director, internal quality assurance cell, Osmania University, said, “The increase in detention in students is not because of lack of faculty. Students are just not serious about their studies at undergraduate level. Students are not even serious about their class tests so it is obvious that they are not serious about semester exams. If students have a problem they can just inform. We can improve the performance of students by conducting regular class tests for the students. But yes, the government should make sure that there are no vacancies in the universities.”

Professor M. Yadagiri, controller of examinations, Telangana University, said, “We have not ended the detention system but we have given exemption to the students for this semester only because second semester results were delayed this year.  “We are still following the detention system and have adopted the CBCS system but we have just given exemptions for the current semester.”