Telangana polytechnic students protest SHAKTI education merger

Polytechnic students across Telangana have launched widespread protests against the state government's proposed restructuring of technical education. The agitation centers on the SHAKTI scheme, which seeks to merge government polytechnic colleges with Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and Apprentice Training Centres under the newly formed SHAKTI department (Skill, Human Capital and Knowledge Training Initiatives).

Students have staged demonstrations in Hyderabad, Vikarabad, Patancheru, Warangal, and Karimnagar. They argue that the merger, which also brings polytechnic colleges under the ambit of Young India Skill University, threatens the academic standards and identity of specialized technical education. Protesters expressed concerns that the move could undermine three-year diploma programs and complicate future pathways to BTech courses, potentially reducing technical students to the status of laborers rather than professionals.

In response to the growing movement, student representatives and the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of teachers and staff have announced a ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ programme scheduled for August 22 to intensify their demands for the immediate withdrawal of the merger proposal.