Hyderabad: Students of Telangana Social Welfare Residential Armed Forces Preparatory Degree College, Bibinagar, on Monday staged a massive protest against the state government’s proposal to shift the college to Ghatkesar. The college was once the country’s first degree college that trained women for the armed forces. The students gheraoed I TGSWREIS Joint Secretary Sharada on her one-day visit to the college. They raised slogans and alleged that the existence of the college would be in danger if the college was shifted to Ghatkesar where three social welfare residential institutions are already operating in one campus. The students expressed their concern over the quality of training being imparted by four institutions namely Armed Forces Preparatory Degree College, Social Welfare Degree College for Women Budvel and Mahendra Hills, and Gurukul School Jagathgiri Gutta operating in one campus.
They lamented that their aim of joining the institution to impart training for the armed forces would fail due to lack of proper facilities in the existing college campus. Around 1,400 girl students, including 350 from the Armed Forces Preparatory Degree College, will have to study on the same campus. Sources said that due to lack of adequate hostels, classrooms are being used for sleeping at night. Apart from this, there is also a problem of inadequate toilet facilities. On Monday, the TGSWREIS said in a statement that the state government has decided to extend military training, which is currently limited to the Armed Forces Preparatory Degree College for female students, to students of social welfare institutions in Budvel, Mahendra Hills and Jagadagirigutta. However, it has come to light that the building owner of the Armed Forces Preparatory College has given notice to the college administration over pending rent and asked to vacate. Apart from this, it has also come to light that the instructors in the college have not been paid salaries for the last five months. The release said, “TGSWREIS is working with the aim of strengthening the college further, so that the students get more opportunities to join the armed forces.”
