Polytechnic students protest; clarity remains absent
Students in Ramanthapur protested GO Ms No. 97. A report said police used a lathi charge, but the specific incident has not been independently confirmed.
Students continue to seek clarity on the implications of GO Ms No. 97.
Students at a polytechnic college in Ramanthapur, Hyderabad, protested on September 10 against GO Ms No. 97, amid wider demonstrations across Telangana. A report said police used a lathi charge after the confrontation escalated and that video showed officers pushing and shoving students. The college was not identified, and the number of injured students was not established.
The protests centre on student concerns about possible privatisation, fees, scholarships, the State Board of Technical Education and Training, lateral entry into engineering degrees and control of college infrastructure. The Congress government has said the existing diploma programme, ECET-based lateral entry, scholarships, fee reimbursements and government control of land and buildings will continue. It has also said the YISU association is intended to improve technical education and employment prospects.
That reassurance has not persuaded students to withdraw their demand for GO 97 to be revoked. No police statement confirming or denying the Ramanthapur lathi-charge allegation was found. The government has explained the reform; it has not yet explained why students are still asking what it means.