Hyderabad: Telangana Education minister on Saturday wrote an open letter to agitating students of the RGUKT, popularly known as IIIT Basara, Nirmal in which she promised action towards the demands raised by the students and urged them to stop the protest.
“I feel sorry not only as a minister but also as a mother, looking at children protesting in hot sun and rain. This is your government. Please participate in discussions with us and end the protest. The government will resolve your issues,” she said in the letter.
The minister further said that the government appointed the director to resolve the issues. “The government also sent Venkata Ramana, the vice-chairman of the Higher Education department to you (students). Please discuss with them,” she added.
The minister also said that the resolution of ‘minor issues’ turned late due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “I don’t want to undermine your problems. This campus has a student organisation body like no other and these issues can be resolved by discussing them internally. I am just sad that you are facing hardships by protesting out in the open,” she said.
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Sabitha requested the students to not let politics enter the campus because of these protests. “This university has a speciality. Under Hon’ble chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s vision, the number of students went up from 1000 to 1500 on the campus. Students have achieved good results and they will keep doing that. National and International companies are recruiting students from the campus. Please don’t let the name of the institution down,” she said.
The protest began on June 14 and is still ongoing despite attempts of the state government to calm the students and send them back to classes.
Students are staging a sit-in at the main gate of the building in support of their demands.
The protesting students have demands that include a visit by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to the campus, the appointment of a permanent VC who stays on the campus, the proportionality of the faculty-student ratio, IT-based studies, hostel renovation, availability of additional titles in the library, amenities like beds, cots and uniforms should be provided, proper maintenance of the campus and hostel mess and many others.
