Chanting slogans, Univ of Hyderabad students demand cancellation of Kancha Gachibowli land auction

Heavy police presence at University of Hyderabad main gate in Hyderabad on Tuesday (April 1, 2025). Students of the university protested against auction of 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli.
| Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR

Building on a series of ongoing protests over the weekend, students at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) have gathered once again for two major demonstrations on Tuesday (April 1, 2025) morning amid heavy police deployment, intensifying their opposition to the auctioning of 400 acres of land in Kancha Gachibowli.

At the university’s main gate, over 150 members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) assembled for a ‘Maha Dharna’, which began at 1030 a.m. Simultaneously, another 150 members from various student unions are staging a protest near the administration block.

Chanting slogans and holding banners, students marched to demand the cancellation of the 400-acre land auction.

The protesters are calling for the construction of a permanent boundary wall to safeguard university land from encroachment. They are also insisting on the public release of all legal documents, land surveys, government orders (GOs), and Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) correspondences related to the auction. Additionally, students are urging legal action against officials who violated university statutes without Executive Council approval.

“The university administration has been silent for the past three days. They have not addressed our concerns. We, the students—who are not even the actual stakeholders—are fighting for this land, while the real stakeholders remain inactive,” said Nishanth Reddy, a PhD student and ABVP worker.

Meanwhile, students have raised concerns over increased security measures, stating that police officers are demanding identification cards even from those simply moving within the university premises.

“Telangana police have taken over security in the past few days citing law and order issues. Those without ID cards are being denied entry to the university, and now even students heading to their respective departments are being asked to produce their ID cards,” Mr. Reddy added.