Published Jul 09, 2026 | 1:14 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 09, 2026 | 1:33 PM
SFI members protesting outside Khammam District Collectorate as part of the 'Chalo Collectorate' campaign (Credit: SFI Telangana)
Synopsis: The Students Federation of India Telangana, together with allied student organisations, called for a statewide shutdown of schools and colleges on 10 July over a long list of unresolved issues in the education sector. SFI’s state committee also organised “Chalo Collectorate” protests outside district collectorates across Telangana.
The Students Federation of India (SFI) Telangana, together with allied student organisations, has called for a statewide shutdown of schools and colleges on Friday, 10 July, stepping up pressure on the Congress government over a long list of unresolved issues in the education sector.
In the run-up to the bandh, SFI’s state committee organised “Chalo Collectorate” protests outside district collectorates across Telangana this week, drawing thousands of students into the streets.
The demonstrations turned tense in several places, with police and protesting students clashing in Sangareddy, Bhuvanagiri, Peddapalli, Mahabubabad, Khammam, and Nagarkurnool. In Sangareddy, student leaders alleged that police filed false cases against protesters.
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One of the crucial demands by the student organisations is the immediate release of an estimated ₹10,000 crore in pending scholarships and fee-reimbursement dues to colleges across Telangana. Several colleges have refused to return documents or issue graduation certificates to students.
Private engineering colleges in and around Hyderabad are reportedly demanding ₹2–3 lakh to return the certificates.
The student leaders have also called for the withdrawal of Government Orders 7,8, and 9, which introduced the Direct Benefit Transfer system. Under the DBT system, the government plans to release the fee amount directly into the students’ accounts in four phases during the academic year. Students and opposition parties widely criticised the move.
SFI Telangana secretary, T Nagaraju, said, “DBT should be rolled back. It doesn’t work. What should a student do when there is a delay in the release of funds to their accounts? Should they go around running from one official to another asking about it? Is it feasible? It will cause distress to students. We demand that the funds be reimbursed directly to the colleges.”
Another important issue at the centre of the agitation is Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s announcement to close 27,000 of the 23,000 government schools and merge them with the remaining 4,000 schools. The student organisations said the restructuring would put public education further out of reach for children from low-income households, particularly in rural areas, and have demanded that the government drop the idea altogether.
“Already more than 50 percent of the school-going students in the state are studying in private institutions. This move would further drive more students away from government schools,” Nagaraju told South First.
They accused the Telangana government of covertly implementing the policies proposed by the Union government in the National Education Policy 2020.
“YS Jagan also did a similar merger of schools. It looks like they are trying to implement the NEP 2020 framework gradually. We call for the Telangana government to reject NEP and pass a resolution in the state assembly against it,” said Nagaraju.
Alongside the major concerns, the student organisations have also laid out a list of demands. They urged the government to regulate fees at private schools and end the practice of in-house shops that pressure parents into buying overpriced school supplies.
The students also raised the issue of maintenance and funding of the social welfare residential schools and junior colleges. They requested that the government immediately distribute school supplies as promised. They demanded two free sets of uniforms and textbooks for every government-school student.
They alleged that students in welfare hostels have not yet received notebooks, even though it has been a month since the beginning of the school year. They also demanded that the textbooks for intermediate students be released soon.
The organisations also demanded better funding and food quality in the mid-day meal scheme, and that its execution be handed over to women’s self-help groups (SHGs) rather than external operators such as Akshaya Patra and the Manna Foundation. They urged the government to quickly expand the recently launched breakfast scheme to all government schools and junior colleges in the state.
Further, they pressed for the urgent filling of vacant posts of teachers, Mandal and District Education Officers, and lecturers across Telangana.
PDSU, AISF, AIDSO, AIPSU, AISD, and other groups extended support to the bandh call and have been participating in the statewide protests. SFI appealed to students, parents, teachers and civil society groups to back the 10 July bandh. The organisation stated that it was necessary to put pressure on the government to act on the deepening crisis in public education.
The state government has not yet issued a formal response to the bandh call.
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The left student organisations have demanded that the government and the Vice Chancellor of Palumuru University sack the principal of Government PG College in Kollapur, Nagarkurnool, and conduct a thorough investigation into the sexual assault allegation against him.
Students accused principal Mark Poloneyes of sexually assaulting a recent graduate who went to collect his Transfer Certificate.
The victim reportedly recorded the incident with the help of his friend and alleged that it was a repeated occurrence. A case has been filed against Principal Mark at the Kollapur Police Station.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
