Hyderabad: Nizam College Students End Protest After Hostel Allotment Assurance

Hyderabad: Undergraduate students of the Nizam College ended their four-day-old protest on Thursday after assurances from Congress MLC Dr Balmoor Venkat and the state government with regard to the demand for 100 per cent hostel allotment for female undergraduates.

Dr Venkat held discussions with college vice-principal Ganga Upender Reddy on behalf of the state government. He later assured the students that the academic year for postgraduate students would conclude by September, after which all hostel rooms would be allocated to undergraduate students.

Dr Venkat assured the students that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, currently abroad, would address the issue upon his return.

"We are temporarily suspending our protest based on the promise that an official circular will be issued within three days," said Harika J., a third-year student. "Of the circular is not issued by Monday, we will resume our protest."

Keerthana V, another student, said, "We've been struggling with this issue for years. It's nice to see a commitment from the authorities, but we will hold them accountable."

Around 500 female students have been forced to stay in costly private hostels due to the lack of space on the campus and also raised safety concerns. Despite a government order mandating hostel admissions for undergraduates, the college had allocated only half the rooms to them.

Postgraduate students voiced their concerns, seeking fairness in the allocation of hostel rooms. They argued that while they have access to hostel facilities at Osmania University, the Nizam College management should ensure that the allocation process is transparent and equitable.