OU students force govt to rethink on G-1 exams

Four Pro-Telangana students on Saturday went on a hunger strike while eight others threatened to jump off the Arts College building to mount pressure on the state government to rethink about its Friday’s decision to go ahead with conducting the Andhra Pradesh Public Services Commission Group-1 Preliminary examination on its earlier announced scheduled date of September 5.

On a day of fast moving developments, a delegations of Ousjac leaders submitted a memorandum to Home Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy asking her to take a decision on the postponement of the G1 examinations. The memorandum also cautioned the Home Minister that the situation could turn volatile if the exam goes ahead on schedule.

Ms Indra Reddy promised them that a decision would be taken after consulting Chief Minister K Rosaiah on the issue.

Meanwhile, four students announced their decision to go on a hunger strike in protest against the decision to hold the exams, while eight others managed to make their way up the terrace of the Arts College building in the Osmania University campus and threaten to jump in protest.

On getting information of the events at the Arts College, Vice-Chancellor Tirupati Rao rushed to the spot and tried to persuade the students to come down. He also assured them that he would talk to the government about their demands and find a solution to the impasse.

The tension in the Osmania University campus was palpable since Friday’s decision by the government not to bow down to the pressure tactics of the students from Telangana who have been demanding that the government guarantee 42 per cent of recruitments for qualifiers in the G-1 examinations are from the region.

The students had already called for a bandh in the region on September 5.

In another development, Ministers Sridhar Babu, DK Aruna, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Sunita Lakshma Reddy have urged the government to postpone the APPSC Group-1 preliminary exams.