The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Friday organised a rally in Hyderabad's Narayanguda area, and demanded that the state de-recognise Narayana Junior Colleges in the city.
The demand came in the backdrop of the suicide of 17-year-old Shravya, earlier this week.
Shravya's father had dropped her at the hostel on August 9, after a week-long vacation at her home in Veligonda, in Telangana's Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district.
Upset at being allegedly harassed by the college management over the payment of fees, Shravya hung herself before her father could even leave the premises of the hostel.
She was rushed to the hospital where she was declared brought dead.
The suicide shocked students in the entire junior college, and they have been holding protests, blaming the college management for harassing the girl.
“The government should immediately initiate action against the Narayana group and book a criminal case against the chairman of the institution Narayana P . They should also make sure that all the colleges and hostels, running without proper licence should be closed down so that students don't commit suicide because of pressure laid on them by the faculty to excel in studies," said Jeevan, zonal in charge of ABVP told the Times of India.
“These corporate colleges are nothing but jails.They collect several lakh rupees from parents and don't even provide basic facilities," Ayappa L, state secretary, ABVP told TOI.
Several members of the student organisation were detained by the police, and released later.
The Narayana group of educational institutes are owned and run by Andhra Pradesh Municpal Adminstration Minister P Narayana.
Citing Shravya's suicide, a Hyderabad-based activist moved the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), to take note of the rising number of student suicides in Telangana.
"If we do not change our approach to educating these children, there is much more violence in store. The students are reacting this way purely because the amount of mental stress we put on them has a tipping point," Achyuta Rao, the activist who filed the petition, told TNM earlier.
The SHRC has now issued a notice to Telangana's Principal Secretary (Education). A notice was also issued to the Commissioner of Police, Rachakonda, as Sharvya's suicide occurred under his jurisdiction.
The two parties have been asked to file a report by August 26, when the case will come up for hearing.