Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday inaugurated three newly constructed hostel buildings at Osmania University, including facilities for both boys and girls. He also laid the foundation stone for a state-of-the-art digital library on the campus. With this, Reddy became the first chief minister to formally visit Osmania University since the state’s formation, a symbolic step as former CM K. Chandrashekar Rao had avoided the campus following student protests in 2015. Emphasizing the Congress government’s commitment to strengthening higher education, Reddy highlighted the university’s historic role in shaping leaders, officers, and intellectuals.
During his address, the chief minister underscored the need to modernize Osmania University into a global research hub on par with prestigious institutions like Oxford University. He announced that a special committee will soon be formed to assess the university’s infrastructural and academic needs, after which the state will allocate Rs 1000 crore exclusively for its development. Stressing the importance of education in shaping individuals and society, he urged students to focus on their studies while cautioning them against the growing menace of drug addiction. He also reiterated his government’s focus on renaming institutions to honour freedom fighters who stood against the Nizam and Razakars.
The new hostels, built at a cost of Rs 80 crore, can accommodate 1,200 students, while additional hostels with a capacity for 300 students will be constructed with support from the Tribal Welfare department. Currently, the campus houses 25 hostels serving more than 7,200 students. Alongside the hostel facilities, Reddy also launched the CM Research Fellowship and a financial assistance scheme for students undertaking foreign study tours. Announcing that a student gathering will be held near the Arts College in December—free of police presence—he invited students to directly raise their demands with him. Revanth also promised that job notifications would soon be released in line with departmental requirements, while defending his government’s new initiatives such as HYDRAA against encroachments and EAGLE to combat drug abuse.
