Andhra new hub for Telangana students

HYDERABAD: They may be espousing the Telangana cause, but when it comes to the education of their wards, the champions of the separate state are not taking any chances.

Conceding that the political uncertainty and unrest in the Telangana region triggered by the latest phase of the agitation for statehood by various political parties and groups will disrupt the academic schedule in the Telangana region, scores of parents are sending their children to Krishna and Guntur districts for intermediate education and EAMCET coaching.

Principals of leading corporate residential colleges in Guntur and Vijayawada told TOI that there has been a 25% increase in the number of students from the Telangana region seeking admissions in their institutions. "More students from the Telangana region are seeking admission in our colleges.The trend is more visible in the engineering stream. Those students who are getting admission into engineering course in colleges in both the T region and Andhra region are opting for the latter as their first choice," said A Murali, principal of a junior college in Guntur belonging to the Sri Chaitanya Groups of Institutions.

A Ravi Prasad, principal of Narayana college in Vijayawada, also admitted that political uncertainty is contributing to the increasing migration of students from the Telangana region to institutions in the other two regions.

"Many local parents were surprised to learn that the admissions got filled up so fast, and in view of the heightened regional tensions, many families from the Telangana region who have secured admission for their children here have urged us not to publicize the fact that they are outsiders," according to a source.

Ironically, many parents from the Telangana region, who are sending their children to the other two regions for their studies are active participants of the separate state agitation.