Tempers rise at Nizam College

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Hyderabad: The counselling for Osmania University Common Entrance Test (OUCet) for admissions to PG courses in the OU region has been raising tempers. The counselling is being held at Nizam College, Basheerbagh, since Monday.
Students from pro-Telangana organisations have been obstructing students from the Seemandhra region from attending the counselling. Seemandhra students are being forcefully sent back. As per norms, non-locals are eligible for 15 per cent seats in the OU region. This 15 per cent quota is open to all under which even locals can compete. These seats are to be allotted based on merit secured in the OUCet.
Though Seemandhra students are being threatened openly at the counselling centre, neither the officials present there nor the police has initiated any action against the T-students. They claim that no complaint has been lodged by any student over this so far.
This has become a regular phenomenon during the OUCet counselling since 2010. Student activists are even checking certificates to verify the ‘local status’ of the aspirants. On the first day, five students from the Seemandhra region — Parveena, Samhitha, Abhimaan, Pavan and Srinivas — had to leave the venue without attending the counselling after they were asked to go.
However, these students did not lodge any complaint. “We urge the students to lodge a complaint with the police if anyone stops them from attending the counselling. We will initiate action as it is illegal,” said prof. S. Satyanarayana, vice-chancellor, OU.
The VC directed the PG admissions director to ensure the smooth conduct of the counselling and safety of all the students and approach police officials in case of any trouble.
Telangana issue keeps college managements on tenterhooks
The latest developments on Telangana, especially at the time of the commencement of the new admissions session, has kept the managements of professional colleges in the city on tenterhooks.
Over 80 per cent of the total professional colleges existing in the state are located in and around the city. All the engineering, medical, dental, pharmacy and management colleges depend on students from the Seemandhra region to fill the seats, especially in the management quota.
College managements  are debating over what will happen if the Centre grants statehood to Telangana with Hyderabad as its capital and the subsequent issues that may arise — local, non-local issues with regard to future admissions.
The Sri Krishna Committee had also pointed out excessive clustering of colleges in and around Hyderabad that may create problems in future. “Many students and parents who have registered with us for management quota seats earlier, are not  responding on taking admissions now,” said K.V.K.  Rao, chairman of St. Mary’s Group of Institutions.
“If T-state is declared, students from Seemandhra region will become students of another state. As per existing norms, students from other states are not eligible to take admission in 70 per cent of the merit quota seats. They are eligible only for 10 per cent of the remaining management quota seats,” said N.  Ramesh, chairman of Consortium of AP Private Professional and Engineering Colleges Managements’ Association.