HYDERABAD: Terming it as the “slow death” of Kamala Nehru Polytechnic For Women (KNPW), scores of women took to the streets on Sunday demanding women’s rights to education on the occasion of 75th Independence Day. The Azadi Morcha which was carried out from Gandhi Bhavan Metro station to Gun Park, comprised college alumni and women activists. They carried placards and banners which read ‘Save KNPW’.
After the protests which had been going on for the last two months, of the seven government-aided courses, the KNPW has only listed three courses, while the remaining four - Pharmacy, Architectural Assistantship, Garment Technology, and Hotel Management & Catering Technology - are yet to be restored. Apart from the demand that the State government aid all the seven courses, the protesters also urged the government to take over the reins of the college from Exhibition Society and declare it as Government Polytechnic College.
Expressing anguish, the protesters stated that the chance for students to apply for the four courses was getting less as only the second round of counselling was left. Speaking to Express, one of the student protesters Gali Anusha said, “After our relentless protests in the last few weeks, the IT Minister KT Rama Rao and Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy assured us that all the seven courses will be aided and added to the counselling list, but it has not happened.”
Highlighting the need to restore the courses, another protester stated that about 24 per cent of the KNPW students and alumni are first-generation literates, and about 80 per cent belong to underprivileged sections of the society.