Fee Arrears of Private Colleges Push Telangana Towards College Strike Threat

Hyderabad, Telangana; September 14, 2025

Telangana’s private professional, degree, and postgraduate colleges are on the verge of an indefinite strike starting September 16, over unresolved government fee reimbursement arrears amounting to nearly ₹8,000 crore accumulated over the past five years. This sudden unrest threatens to disrupt academic schedules and affect thousands of students. College managements say that despite promises, payments have been delayed. They point out that although tokens worth around ₹1,200 crore were issued last year, the actual release of funds is still pending. Many institutions claim they cannot pay salaries to teaching and non-teaching staff because of financial stress caused by non-receipt of dues. In response, the Telangana government under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has reviewed the issue with the education and finance departments. Officials have proposed clearing partial payments first, to reduce pressure and prevent the strike. Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu have held discussions with the Federation of Associations of Telangana Higher Institutions (FATHI). FATHI has asked the government for a binding schedule to release arrears; they demand clarity on timelines and assurances of full payment. Without immediate action, many small colleges warn they may close operations or merge, leading to loss of jobs and students losing academic year time. Education analysts observe that the issue stems from systemic delays in government funding mechanisms, lack of transparency, and inefficient reimbursement processes. Students say they are caught in limbo: registration, examination schedules, and admissions may be affected if colleges shut or strike. The problem reflects wider stresses in higher education: when institutions depend heavily on government reimbursements, delayed disbursement leads to cascading issues—from staff salaries to academic credibility. For Telangana, the upcoming few days are critical: whether the government’s partial payment promise and discussions will be sufficient to avert the strike.