- Students Trapped by Seat Allotment Rules
Article Today, Hyderabad: Several engineering aspirants in Telangana are struggling with rigid counselling rules. Many have been allotted seats in colleges they do not prefer. However, due to current regulations, they cannot cancel these admissions easily. This has allowed some private institutions to impose unfair conditions on students, threatening to withhold fees and original certificates if they choose not to join.
Third Phase Counselling Brings New Problems
In the second phase of counselling, some students temporarily joined colleges they did not prefer, hoping for better options in the third phase. They submitted their transfer certificates and other documents, along with fees. When they failed to secure a seat in a better college in the third round, they sought to withdraw their documents. At this point, several private colleges reportedly demanded extra payments before returning the certificates, even in cases where fee reimbursement applied. Students allege they were told they would not get their papers back without paying these additional charges.
Student Unions Slam Government Inaction
Student unions say the Telangana State Council of Higher Education and college education officials have failed to address the issue. They accuse authorities of framing counselling rules that benefit private managements instead of students. The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) pointed out that, under All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) guidelines, colleges must refund fees and return certificates immediately when a student cancels admission. In Telangana, these rules are being openly flouted, the SFI alleged.
Call for Urgent Intervention
The SFI Telangana State Committee has demanded that the government end this injustice immediately. It urged the authorities to allow students the option to cancel unwanted seats and take strict action against colleges refusing to return documents or fees. SFI state president S. Rajinikanth and state secretary T. Nagaraju said the future of students should be the top priority. They warned that continued inaction could force agitations. Students, meanwhile, await a firm government response.
