HYDERABAD: After the Telangana government accorded administrative sanction of Rs 1,000 crore to upgrade infrastructure at Osmania University, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday announced that the historic institution would be transformed into a world-class, premier centre of higher education.
Addressing students on the university campus, the chief minister urged them not to fall prey to political traps and instead focus on their studies and career building. Students, he said, must also cultivate leadership qualities and grow into leaders capable of steering the state’s future.
Launching a sharp attack on the previous BRS government, he alleged that Osmania University had been deliberately neglected for a decade. While BRS leaders built farmhouses on hundreds of acres, not a single Dalit family received the promised three acres of land under the previous regime, he said.
Revanth also took a dig at BRS leaders for commenting on his educational background. He said he studied in a government school and may lack proficiency in foreign languages, but understands the hardships of the poor far better. “Expertise in the English language does not equate to knowledge; it is simply a communication tool,” he said. “We are providing freedom, social justice and equal opportunities. Our intention is to support the poor and the helpless. I will rescue Telangana from evil forces.”
Committed to development
Responding to a challenge thrown at him by a BRS leader to visit the Arts College, he said, “I came to the university with a heart full of admiration and with a commitment to pave the way for its development.”
“One does not need courage to visit the university — only affection for the students,” he added. The chief minister recalled the crucial role played by the university in the Telangana movement.
Telangana, he said, has always been a society with a strong conscience and a rebellious spirit. “From Komaram Bheem to the armed peasant struggle, people rose against oppression. Students of Osmania and Kakatiya universities played a commendable role in the fight for statehood.”
During the movement, students demanded freedom, social justice and equal opportunities, not farmhouses and land, he pointed out. Osmania University, he noted, has produced towering leaders including PV Narasimha Rao, S Jaipal Reddy, George Reddy, Gaddar and many others.
Listing the achievements of his government over the past two years, he said the administration had brought out the Telangana anthem, installed the Telangana Talli statue, implemented SC categorisation, conducted a caste census and compelled the Centre to take up the same exercise.
Tool of empowerment
Calling education the greatest tool of empowerment, he said: “Lack of land may be poverty, but lack of education is backwardness.”
The government, he stressed, was creating educational opportunities for all students in need to transform their lives. Integrated residential schools are being established to root out caste discrimination; the Young India Skills University had been set up to equip youth with employable skills, with industrialist Anand Mahindra appointed as its chairperson to inspire students; and the Young India Sports University was launched with the aim of securing medals in the 2036 Olympics. “With knowledge and commitment, anything is achievable,” he said.
He noted that a committee has already been constituted to recruit teaching and non-teaching staff for the university, and directed officials not to entertain any political interference. “No one has the right to spoil the future of children,” he said. “Osmania University is the heart of Telangana, and appointments must be made transparently to secure a better future for students.”
CM in Delhi, likely to visit Parliament
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy left for Delhi on Wednesday. According to officials, the chief minister is scheduled to visit Parliament on Thursday. He is likely to meet several Union ministers to discuss issues related to Telangana.
He is expected to meet AICC leaders to discuss party issues. According to sources, he is likely to brief Union ministers and AICC leaders on the outcomes of the Telangana Rising Global Summit. Sources also said that the chief minister is scheduled to attend a private function in the national capital.