Telangana Polytechnic Staff Launch Non-Cooperation Over Skills University Merger

HYDERABAD — The Telangana Polytechnic Joint Action Committee (TP-JAC) escalated its agitation against the state government's decision to merge polytechnics with the Young India Skills University (YISU), launching a non-cooperation protest in duties from Saturday.

Under the protest, staff across the state will refuse to take up additional, special, or State Board of Technical Education and Training (SBTET) duties, including question paper setting, moderation, and evaluation. However, regular academic and institutional duties will continue unaffected.

TP-JAC leaders stated that the state government moved forward with the merger under the Shakti department without establishing clear modalities or a comprehensive roadmap. They noted that authorities offered only oral assurances rather than written commitments regarding staff and student concerns.

"We are not asking for hikes or other benefits but to retain the polytechnics under the SBTET and all polytechnics be under the Education department only," said M Nagaraju, Chairman of TP-JAC. He added that the non-cooperation campaign would continue until their demands are met.

Polytechnic staff raised several concerns regarding the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model of YISU. They pointed out that the university can set its own syllabus and fee structure, with industry-specific training potentially failing to provide broader employment skills. Staff also noted that the university lacks approval from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), which could render diplomas unrecognised for government and Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) jobs.

Concurrently, students staged demonstrations demanding the revocation of GO MS No.97 and raising alarms over the potential cancellation of the Engineering Common Entrance Test (ECET), which permits diploma holders to gain lateral entry into undergraduate engineering courses.

During a visit to the Government Polytechnic College in Masab Tank on Friday, Shakti Minister G Vivek Venkat Swamy faced questions from protesting students seeking firm guarantees regarding ECET and investor commitments. The Minister defended the policy shift, stating that the merger would allow the department to secure Rs. 600 crore to upgrade polytechnic institutions across Telangana.