Four undergraduate girl students who were part of a group demanding hostel facilities in Nizam college, Hyderabad were allegedly threatened with police cases by a senior officer with the Telangana Education Department on Thursday, November 10. The incident is said to have occurred when the four girls were talking with Navin Mittal, Telangana’s Commissioner of Technical and Collegiate Education, about providing hostel facilities for undergraduate girl students of Nizam college. While the students began their protest on October 28, they were asked for five days' time from the management to resolve the issue. As they failed to get a response from the management even after five days, they began to protest again on November 4.
At present, hostel facilities are being provided only to postgraduate students of the college. On November 8, Minister KT Rama Rao in a tweet asked the Education Minister to address the issue as a girls hostel had already been built and handed over to the college. Following this, the students had a meeting with the Commissioner. Incidentally, the students said that they had requested the hostel facility from KT Rama Rao for undergraduate students, but it was given to postgraduate students.
One of the four students, Sravani speaking to TNM, narrated, “Initially, we were 11 students, but only four people were called inside to speak with him. We put forward our demand for a full hostel facility as that was what was promised to us. However, Navin Mittal said that the hostel facility was allotted to only postgraduate students. When the batches of undergraduate students have been protesting for hostel facilities for the last five years, we did not understand why the facility was being given only to postgraduate students.”
Request Minister @SabithaindraTRS Garu to kindly intervene and address the issue
— KTR (@KTRTRS) November 8, 2022
As per the request of the students, girls hostel was built and handed over to the college. This situation seems unwarranted https://t.co/HddjVl8KG0
I will personally look into the matter @KTRTRS garu. Will resolve it ASAP
— SabithaReddy (@SabithaindraTRS) November 8, 2022
She further said that the undergraduate students were insistent on getting hostel facilities as there were more than 600 students who hailed from other villages and towns. “He tried to convince us with the 50% allotment, but other protesting students did not accept the offer. When we conveyed the same, Navin Mittal became annoyed and said, ‘You do what you want and we will do what we have to do.’” The student further alleged that the Commissioner threatened to file a police case against them for protesting.
Hyd:Nizam College'women students alleged that the state TS govt officials had threatened them with criminal action upon their disagreement with the proposed 50:50 hostel facility for UG&PG women https://t.co/70N1sPSSOL students demanding hostel allocation for UG students alone. pic.twitter.com/sgVZ2q90Pl
— CharanTeja (@CharanT16) November 10, 2022
Another student, Aishwarya from Warangal said that she had been paying Rs 6,000 per month for private hostels. “I work part-time to pay my hostel fees and food expenses. If we had so much money, we would join a private institute instead of a government college. We were promised a hostel facility when we joined, but now I'm in my final year, But I still haven't got a hostel room and a lot of money is being spent on food, travel and accommodation,” she said.
The protesting students also spoke to Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy on the morning of November 11. The Minister took to Twitter and said that the government had resolved the issue and had released a government order stating 50% of the hostel facility would be allotted to undergraduate students while the other 50% to be allotted to postgraduate students.
గత కొద్దిరోజులుగా ఆందోళన చేస్తున్న నిజాం కళాశాల డిగ్రీ విద్యార్థుల సమస్యను మానవతా దృక్పథంతో ప్రభుత్వం పరష్కరించింది.@KTRTRS , @TelanganaCMO. pic.twitter.com/3ttFT7Nmof
— SabithaReddy (@SabithaindraTRS) November 11, 2022
Students of Nizam college denied that the issue had been resolved and said the tweet was false. “We never agreed with the Education Minister or Navin Mittal. We said we would only think about it. But they have tweeted saying as if we have agreed. We are tweeting against it,” said a student.
We are not agree on your decision of 50% for UG and 50% for PG kindly we are requesting 100% for UG girls only ,we are continuing our protest until we get hostel @KTRTRS @SabithaindraTRS @TelanganaCMO #Nizamhostelforuggirls#nizamhostel#girlshostelnizamcollege
— KURUMURTHY ADDAKULA (@Kurumurthy46) November 11, 2022
#nizamhostelforUGgirls
— Baroth sai mani (@BarothSai) November 11, 2022
We are not accept 50%hostel don't spread fake new https://t.co/XLZZNrw3aP
#NizamhostelforUGgirls
This is completely fake news we didn't stoped our protest & will not stop until we get our hostel .@KTRTRS pic.twitter.com/O537FhDUH5 — Mankala Nandhu (@MankalaNandhu) November 11, 2022
Navin Mittal was unavailable for comment. This story will be updated, if he responds.