The State government has underscored that access to educational institutions in Hyderabad is critical since the city is a magnet for students from all regions.
There is fear that students from Seemandhra region seeking admission into these institutions, most of which are concentrated in the State capital, may be treated as non-locals post-bifurcation. Admissions and accessibility to these colleges has been non-discriminatory so far. This and several other pertinent issues that need amicable solutions have been posed by the State government to the Group of Ministers (GoM) in its report.
Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district account for the bulk of engineering, medical, management, law and other professional colleges. Next to Delhi, the State capital has the highest number of universities.
Without saying in so many words, the report suggested that in post-bifurcation scenario too, equitable access to employment and education to the students and professionally qualified persons in common capital of Hyderabad needs to be ensured.
Interestingly, Minister Vatti Vasant Kumar, who hails from Seemandhra, in his presentation to the GoM, raised the same issue and said that there should be no discrimination between the local and non-local students for a period of 10 years in common capital.
The report listed that Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts account for 152 engineering colleges, 11 medical colleges, 67 pharmacy colleges, 224 MBA, 206 MCA and 11 law colleges and that admission and accessibility to them has been non-discriminatory so far.
Employment and admissions into several universities and Institutes of Excellence are governed by local and non-local regulations, which are the off-shoot of 371-D presidential order.
This apart, the report suggested that residuary AP be sanctioned a new IIT, IIM, NIT, three Central Universities, funds to upgrade and create two agricultural universities, one each in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions in lieu of losing large number of central institutions in Agricultural sector. In the same vein, the report said the rest of Telangana districts too should be sanctioned one IIM, Indian Institute of Medical Sciences and a National Tribal University.
No other city or region has as much employment potential as Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district for the simple reason that out of 72 notified Special Economic Zones in the State,
40 are located in and around the above two districts.
The city is home to 28 defence and other strategically important establishments.
“The State’s division may deny employment at these levels to non-Telangana people and it needs to be addressed,” the report said. Moreover, a majority of pharma companies, private educational institutions, hotels, multiplexes, retail malls, infrastructure companies were set up by Seemandhra investors.
These had driven migration to the city at the rate of 10.6 per cent every year. In turn, this catalysed the economic growth of Hyderabad and surrounding areas, the report added.
