View of Osmania University campus highlighting its academic infrastructure amid ongoing course introduction dispute
Telangana Council of Higher Education (TGCHE) and Osmania University (OU) are embroiled in a dispute over the introduction of new academic courses. While TGCHE recommended launching BE Biotechnology and BA Honors Telugu programmes at the University College of Technology and the College of Arts and Social Sciences respectively, Osmania University rejected these proposals. The university cited a lack of adequate infrastructure, including classrooms, hostels, and faculty, highlighting that the College of Technology was already overburdened with limited staff handling multiple existing courses.
The university also expressed strong objections to TGCHE’s unilateral announcement of the BA (Hons) Telugu programme without prior consultation, which it said caused confusion among students and administrators. Osmania University emphasized that the Arts College currently offers only postgraduate and PhD courses and formally declined the request to introduce the BA Telugu (Hons) programme for the academic year 2025-26. The university underlined that decisions about new programmes should be made by its Standing Committee and noted that TGCHE’s approach undermines university autonomy by imposing directives without meaningful dialogue.
A senior official from Osmania University stated that while the university respects TGCHE as a nodal agency, the Council must follow proper procedures and also provide necessary funding support, including Rs 30 crore for new classroom infrastructure and approvals for staffing. The official stressed that such top-down instructions are ineffective without corresponding resources and collaboration to successfully implement new courses.
