Telangana row affects foreign students in Osmania University

Hyderabad, Feb 15 (ANI): Students from different parts of the world studying in Andhra Pradesh's Osmania University are facing disrupted classes and exams due to the political situation in the state arising out of the Telangana statehood demand.

The local students here boycotted university examinations for the post-graduate courses, demanding that a bill should be introduced in the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament for creation of a separate state.

The university life and the schedule of studies have been totally disrupted, as many youngsters from Osmania and Kakatia Universities, have joined hands with the locals to drive home their demand for the creation of a separate Telangana.

Expressing concern over the ongoing issue, Fayaz Ali, a student from Mauritius, said the university is conducting only half of the examinations at a separate centre for them.

"This year it's kind of different, very complicated, half of the students in the bachelor level, they finished their exams, but the post graduation students are still in the middle of their exams. We forced the university to hold separate exams for the PG (post graduate) students of Osmania University specifically," said Ali.

The worried foreign students are insisting that the exams be conducted soon.

Koshan Wijdani, a student from Afghanistan, told reporters that foreign scholars were stressed by the uncertainty surrounding their studies and exams.

"As foreigners, as guests here in your country, things do not make sense to us the way they make sense to locals. So, we are somehow suspended in vacuum in the air and we read the news, we follow every detail, but we can't predict things. So that brings us stress," he said.

Commenting on the current situation, the Vice Chancellor of Osmania University, T. Tirupathi Rao, assured students that they would not lose their academic year due to continuous problems created by the protesters and local students.

"They may be having anxiety, they may be having apprehension, but they need not fear anything. The very fact that they wrote so many exams speaks volumes of how the university is concerned about their welfare," said Tirupathi.

"In short notice with one day we have arranged, normally it is not possible, that is only pro-active role of the administration. Whether I am there or somebody else is there, institution will go on with the same policies," he added.

Several protests and shutdowns had brought Andhra Pradesh to a near halt last year as pro-Telangana activists pressed their demand for the separate state.

A concerned central government appointed a judicial commission headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Srikrishna in March last year to look into issue of the separate statehood after series of huge demonstrations and suicides.

The report, submitted to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram in December last year has suggested at least six options including maintaining status quo in the state or bifurcating the state. (ANI)