Centre Denies US Visit Clearance, CM Revanth Reddy to Return to Hyderabad

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will return to Hyderabad from London on August 23 after the Union Government denied him permission to visit the United States. The Ministry of External Affairs turned down his travel request, citing that clearance from a political angle was denied.

The state government had sought clearance from the Central Government for official visits to both the United Kingdom and the United States as per standard policy and protocol. While the Centre approved the UK leg of the tour, it withheld permission for the US itinerary, which included scheduled stops in Boston and New York.

Following the denial, the Chief Minister instructed official delegates to proceed with the planned US tour and execute memorandums of understanding with premier academic institutions, including Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, and Virginia Tech.

In response to the decision, Revanth Reddy stated that the trip was aimed at bringing top global educational institutions to Telangana and Hyderabad in alignment with the Centre's National Education Policy. He expressed shock at the political denial but confirmed he would comply with the Central Government's directive and fly back to Hyderabad rather than proceeding to the US.

While in London, the Chief Minister is proceeding with his scheduled itinerary over two days. His engagements include discussions and interactions with representatives from Oxford University, Cambridge University, the London School of Economics, London Business School, and the University of London, alongside engagements with British sports institutions and skilling leadership to explore partnerships with Telangana.

Revanth Reddy emphasised his administration's goal of developing Hyderabad into a global knowledge hub, referencing the role established institutions such as Osmania University, the University of Hyderabad, JNTU, IIT, ISB, IIIT, and NALSAR have played in building the city's human resource base and attracting global corporations.