HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday vowed to restore the past glory of Osmania University (OU) and develop it on par with world-class institutions such as Stanford and Oxford universities. He said the Congress government, which considered the university as the soul of Telangana, had drawn up ambitious plans to strengthen the institution academically and in terms of infrastructure. Revanth Reddy, the first chief minister to visit the OU campus in 20 years, inaugurated buildings worth ₹90 crore, including the Dundubhi and Bhima hostels, and laid the foundation stone for a digital library and modern reading room. An additional ₹10 crore has been earmarked from the tribal welfare department for hostel facilities. “With a state Budget of ₹3 lakh crore, sanctioning ₹1,000 crore to Osmania University is not a burden,” he said. Revanth Reddy pointed out that the Congress government had spent ₹40,000 crore on education in a year and approved ₹20,000 crore for 100 Young India Integrated Residential Schools. He described OU and Telangana as “conjoined twins,” underscoring the historical and emotional bond between them. To prepare a roadmap for OU’s transformation, the Chief Minister directed the formation of an engineers committee to draft proposals. Revanth Reddy assured the students that he would return to the campus to address a public meeting at Arts College and announce fresh funding. Taking a swipe at the Opposition, he declared no police would be deployed during his next visit. “Let protests happen. I am ready to answer those trying to prevent me from visiting OU,” he said. The Chief Minister alleged that the BRS leadership was anxious about their children’s political future and accused them of misleading students. He reminded that it was the Opposition that ousted Prof. M. Kodandaram from the Legislative Council and promised to re-nominate him as an MLC within 15 days. He accused rivals of using artificial intelligence to spread falsehoods, citing fabricated stories of “lions and elephants” on Hyderabad Central University campus to obstruct development programmes.“The opposition are like termites in Telangana society. If they return to power, the very existence of OU will be threatened,” he warned. Recalling the institution’s legacy, he said it inspired the 1938 Vandemataram struggle and produced leaders like former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, and Union ministers S. Jaipal Reddy and Shivraj Patil. OU, he noted, carried forward the Telangana movement when politicians abandoned it. He also paid tributes to student martyrs Srikantha Chary, Yadaiah, Ishan Reddy and Venugopal Reddy, who sacrificed their lives in the next phase of Telangana statehood agitation in 2009. Stating that OU has produced intellectual wealth for decades, Revanth Reddy accused the BRS of conspiring to weaken it over 10 years. The Congress government, he said, appointed a capable Vice Chancellor from a Dalit community for the first time, with a vision to rebuild the university. “India’s strength is its youth, 60 per cent of whom are below 35 years. Like IAS officers who begin their careers at 21, what’s wrong in a 21-year-old youth contesting Assembly and Lok Sabha polls,” he asked. Expressing concern over rising drug abuse, the Chief Minister appealed to society to save youth from ganja and substance addiction. “We have no treasure to distribute, but we can provide quality education that changes destinies. Education alone will make us rich in character and eradicate poverty,” he said.
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