LESSONS IN UNCERTAINTY - Shut schools and colleges and disrupted academic calendars.If premier institutions once couldnt wait to log into Hyderabad,they and scores of students are now stepping out

The sprawling BITS Pilani campus in Shameerpet mandal has over the last four years expanded in both size and curriculum. It has constructed a whopping 1.8 million square feet space on its campus,has added post graduate and PhD programmes to its curriculum and its Hyderabad address remains a preferred posting for its faculty.Given the distance from the city,the premier institutions academic schedule has remained on track despite the `T agitation.In another end of the city,next to the University of Hyderabad,is the upcoming campus of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR).The tendering process of its first building is on and even before the campus has taken shape,work in the Hyderabad facility has already started work from a rented premises in Gandipet.There is no let up in our plans to go ahead, says R Nityananda,centre director,TIFR Centre for Inter Disciplinary Science, Hydbad. While BITS and TIFR could well be elusive case studies of faith in Hyderabad that premier institutions continue to have, they are possibly cases of confidence in isolation.There is no activity in the BITS neighbourhood,where Georgia Tech was supposed to build its campus.Another project on hold is XLRIs Hyderabad campus.Officials of XLRI,who were in Hyderabad just last year to freeze a deal with the then chief minister K Rosaiah to set up a campus here,reveal,At this point of time,we are not actively pursuing the matter. IIM Ahmedabad that was setting up its seamless campus in the city of Nizams too has reportedly put its plan in the freezer owing to the fl uid situation in the city.Mumbai-based Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies,that has a campus coming up in Jadcherla refused to comment on whether or not the T-issue was any cause of concern. Observers of the feverish growth that Hyderabad witnessed over the last decade note that the city not too long ago had a magnetic pull.Given the number of people moving to Hydbad, there was a spurt not just in number of colleges but also schools. A rash of international schools set up shop and the existing ones started formalizing expansion plans to accom-modate the growing number of students.Hyderabad was a happening city.There was high hope and also great hype across the world about this new hub of technology.The world was enthusiastic.Premier institutions started eyeing Hydbad as it offered an ecosystem of industry.But the industry cant wait for long.Human resource is crucial and they have not been able to function to the fullest, says a senior academic who routinely interacts with companies.He further points out how companies are moving projects out of Hyderabad and that is not good news for the campuses that have come up here. It is exactly this concern that has pushed a considerable number of students outside the state.There were always a set of students who could afford to pay a higher fee and went to study in Bangalore or Chennai.Those from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions came to Hyderabad.If earlier,15,000 to 20,000 students left the state every year to study elsewhere, now the numbers have gone up to 35,000 to 40,000 students, says P Rajeshwar Reddy,general secretary,Consortium of Engineering College Management Association.He says that of the 720 engineering colleges in the state,at least 100 colleges have got less than 100 students this year. Its the same story with medicine.At least 15 to 20 per cent of the regular Eamcet students who would have joined medical colleges have shifted outside the state thinking the education process here is uncertain, says Dr A Y Chary,former director of medical education and currently dean,VRK Med College for Women.For city schools,the frequent interruptions have led to much chaos as they try hard to deal with the uncertainty and handle issues such as last minute holiday announcements due to the stir.School principals admit that they are inundated with parent queries on the academic schedule and extra classes. Parents are worried about the issue.Obviously no student or parent wants any disturbance, says Usha Reddy, principal,Meridian school.Most schools in the city are now working,but there is a great deal of concern for those students who are preparing for their board examinations.We stand to suffer the most as national boards will not take a lenient view of our situation,which the state board might, says N Prakash Rao,a class X student in a CBSE school. Nevertheless,those heading educational institutions note that the agitation hasnt really impacted performance of students in various competitive examinations.Students from the city and the state were shining bright in the IIT results this year. Performance of students from the Telangana region in board examinations too remained unaffected despite the disturbance in academic schedules last year.This year too,while colleges and schools have lost several precious working days to the 42-day Sakala Janula Samme,teachers and principals hope to make up for the days missed.But there are some justified concerns.Dr Chary fears that the endless agitation would cast a shadow on the careers of students.If exams are postponed, even the results would be,he says and cites his own example as a case in point.I lost two years of my academic life due to the 1969 agitation.I fi nished my MS in 1977 as against 1975, which impacted my career.Students are bound to suffer, he says.What has remained unchanged during the Tturmoil in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana,is the academic schedule of institutions in Andhra regions.College Mgmts have branches both in Hyderabad as well as other districts such as Vizag and Vijaywada note that their students in Hyderabad are lagging behind by a month. Even on Diwali, certain colleges were forced to hold their exams to make up for the lost time.Some students from Hyderabad are being asked to move to college branches in Andhra districts so that their schedule is not interrupted again. An official of an Andhra college management says Hyderabads loss is Andhras gain.But this is not the brand image for education that Hyderabad can live with comfortably.After attracting premier schools,it cant be making headlines for students leaving the city, he says. CRASH COURSE: A recent image of violence on OU campus ========================================= EDU FACTS University of Hyderabad was set up in 1974 as a sop for Telangana region following the 1969 agitation.A central university was part of the six-point formula for Telangana region. Osmania University was at the centre of the T-storm even in 1969.One academic year was lost in the T-agitation then In the last six years,six new universities were announced in the Telangana region including Palamoor and Telangana universities but none made the cut In 2011,the agitation has so far cost schools and colleges 40 of a total of 221 working days in the academic calendar.CBSE,ICSE schools worst hit. For the first time in 2011,the T-divide has split parents,with some from Telangana favouring school closure while others protested against it 40,000 students have left Hyderabad and taken admission in colleges in other cities in Andhra region or neighbouring states like Karnataka =================================   (source-toi)

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