Telangana youths head for Delhi study

Hyderabad: Gone are the days when students would think about going to other states for pursuing engineering or medicine streams or post-graduate or even higher studies. Of late, a new trend is being seen in the 10 districts of Telangana. Many Telugu students are heading to the national capital for under-graduate study. The main reasons being cited are lack of quality education at the degree level in the state, zero emphasis on competitive exams during study, less number of quality institutions etc.

JNU’s Prof. G. Srinivas pointed out that previously students from TS or AP rarely explored the opt-ion of UG studies in sciences, arts, humanities etc. in other states, let alone New Delhi. The urge to crack the UPSC exam or other competitive tests is making students think of New Delhi, where under-graduate education is rated as one of the best in the country, he said. Mr Shravan Kumar, a Supreme Court lawyer stated that every year nearly 700 students from Telangana, including UG and PG students, enroll in educational institutions in New Delhi.

University of Delhi-affiliated colleges like Shri Ram, St. Stephen’s, Hindu College, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Miranda House are much sought-after institutions. The cut-off percentile is 92 per cent or above depending on the course. Only meritorious students or those with reservation like sports quota stand a chance of getting seats in these colleges. Many Telugu students also seek admission in Sri Venkateswara College (established by TTD) as well as Sharda and Amity Universities located on the outskirts of Delhi. The courses mostly opted for are BA in economics, political science, history, Journalism), BBM, BBA, B.Sc (Biotechnology) etc.

This new-found craze is intriguing, considering the fact that Telangana has 1,278 degree colleges, of which 126 are government-run and 54 aided by the government. Prof. G. Haragopal, a retired professor from HCU, said undergraduate education in Telangana has almost collapsed. For girls, there are three to four colleges offering better education like Koti Women’s College, Kasturba Gandhi, St. Francis, but for boys there is not a single one at present. Nizam College, once regarded as good, is past its prime, he said.

The need of the hour is overhauling the undergraduate education in Telangana, Prof. Haragopal said. This is a significant statement in view of the Higher Education Council thinking along the lines of according permission to new degree colleges in the near future. Mr Kranthi Kumar, a law student who went to Delhi, stated that they have established Telangana Students’ Union just to students and parents coming to New Delhi for enrollment in colleges.