Ambedkar Open University faculty protest Telangana government's plan to allocate land to JNFAU

HYDERABAD: Faculty members at Dr B R Ambedkar Open University formed a joint action committee to oppose the Telangana government's proposal to allocate 10 acres of the university's land to Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNFAU). They expressed their firm disapproval of the decision and called for its reversal.

The leaders emphasised that BRAOU, India's first distance education university, has long served students from marginalised and economically weaker sections by providing accessible learning opportunities. However, they pointed out that the university's existing infrastructure was insufficient to accommodate the growing student population.

As student enrolment increases yearly, the university has struggled to meet the demand for classrooms and other facilities. The campus, composed of rocky terrain, offers limited usable land for future development. Faculty members stressed the need to build additional structures to meet students' academic requirements.

They raised concerns that the Telangana government's reallocation of land to JNFAU would hinder their university's future expansion and development. They warned that failure to address their concerns could lead to an intensified protest movement. During the protest, staff members submitted a memorandum to in-charge Registrar Sudha Rani urging the government to reconsider its decision.

Prominent university officials who participated in the protest included Prof. Pallavi Kabde, Prof. Pushpa Chakrapani, Prof. Madhuri, Prof. Chandrakala, Dr. P. Venkata Ramana, Dr. Bhoju Srinivas, Dr. Banoth Dharma, Dr. Venkateswarlu, Dr. LVK Reddy, Dr. Krishna Reddy, NC Venugopal, Narayana Rao, G. Maheshwar Goud, MD Habibuddin, Kantham Prem Kumar, Dr. Yakesh Daida, and Rajani Kanth.