Telangana’s junior colleges are at the centre of a dispute over affiliation cancellations, zero-admission orders, penalties and fire safety documentation, after the Telangana Private Junior College Management Association alleged that smaller institutions were being targeted by the state education regulator.
Addressing the media on Saturday, the association alleged that the Telangana Board of Intermediate Education declared zero admissions and cancelled affiliation for 27 colleges in Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal districts. It also said that penalties had been imposed on more than 95 colleges.
The association, known as TPJMA, alleged that several colleges were facing action over fire No Objection Certificates and affiliation procedures even though applications remained pending. It demanded the withdrawal of what it described as unlawful fines and zero-admission orders, and sought simpler rules for fire NOCs and affiliations that account for the operating conditions of smaller private colleges.
TPJMA representatives also said the action could leave poorer students more dependent on larger corporate colleges. The association framed the dispute as a regulatory issue with consequences for access to junior college education in and around Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medchal.
The TGBIE rejected the allegations, describing them as baseless. The board said it was acting strictly under statutory regulations, official documentation requirements and student safety standards, without discrimination. It also accused the association of creating unnecessary panic among students, parents and the public without verifying the facts.
According to the board, 3,241 junior colleges across Telangana had been granted admissions for the current academic year. It said the 27 colleges cited by the association had voluntarily applied for nil admissions because they had recorded no student enrolments. Under the rules cited by TGBIE, affiliation cannot be granted to a college without enrolled first-year students.
Fire safety documentation is the other central point of contention. TGBIE said it found 65 colleges had submitted fake fire NOCs. Following repeated reminders to provide genuine documents, 15 colleges obtained fresh and valid fire NOCs, while 12 colleges remained under process for shifting premises or completing documentation, the board said.
The dispute places fire safety compliance at the intersection of education regulation and the physical safety of students in privately managed buildings. While the association has argued that the compliance process is being applied harshly to smaller institutions, the board has maintained that safety requirements cannot be relaxed for educational buildings.
TGBIE said students who had already taken admission and paid examination fees would not be affected by the measures. The immediate issue for the affected colleges is therefore whether pending documentation, premises shifts and affiliation-related applications can be completed under the board’s regulatory process.
