OU teachers stage dharna seeking appointment of V-Cs

Teachers of Telangana universities, led by teachers of Osmania University (OU), staged a dharna on Friday urging the government to meet their demands, including immediate appointment of Vice-Chancellors (V-C) to all the universities in the State.

Several teachers gathered under the banner of Telangana State Federation of University Teachers’ Associations at the administrative building and raised slogans, calling the government to save higher education by appointing full-time V-Cs and executive councils in the State’s six universities. Interim V-Cs have been operating the universities since the State’s creation in June last year. “It’s been one year, but the government has not appointed V-Cs. As a result, these universities do not have accreditation of the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC),” said the federation’s chairman B. Satyanarayana. Only Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in Hyderabad has NAAC accreditation. NAAC accreditation of OU lapsed in 2013. Pending renewal and retirement of the previous V-C, Principal Secretary Education, has been the acting V-C. Mr. Satyanarayana informed that universities will not be accredited by NAAC if they do not have full-time V-Cs. Without a V-C, the universities will lose grants under Central schemes. The federation in its representation to the Chief Minister threatened to go on hunger strike on July 24, if the government does not address their demands.

Universities will not be accredited by NAAC

if they do not have

full-time V-Cs