"Students on the Warpath!" Massive Protests Erupt Across Telangana Demanding Immediate Cancellation of Polytechnic GO 97!

A massive wave of student unrest has hit Telangana as thousands of diploma engineering students took to the streets across Ramanthapur, Medchal, Secunderabad, Mahabubabad, and Adilabad, demanding the immediate rollback of the controversial Government Order (GO) Ms. No. 97. Protesting students blocked major junctions, staged sit-ins, and rallied outside collectorates to oppose the state government's move to restructure technical education by merging polytechnic colleges under the newly formed SHAKTI department, the Young India Skills University (YISU), and specialized sector departments.

The agitation stems from deep anxieties regarding the academic standing and future value of a 3-year technical diploma. Under the existing system overseen by the State Board of Technical Education and Training (SBTET), diploma graduates have a clear gateway to direct 2nd-year lateral entry into B.Tech engineering colleges through the ECET exam. Students and student unions argue that shifting polytechnics into skill university frameworks and public-private models risks reducing core academic technical diplomas to basic vocational labour training, diluting course credentials, and jeopardizing their direct pathway into undergraduate engineering.