The protest by hundreds of girl students of CMR Engineering College alleging cameras in bathrooms, highlights the sorry state of affairs in private colleges. As the college here belongs to Malla Reddy, who is an MLA and former Minister, it became a statewide issue. But unfortunately, the situation in most of the colleges is more or less same, highlighting the serious lapses in our education system and students safety.

Hundreds of girl students have been protesting for more than 24 hours now, but neither Malla Reddy nor any higher official from his institutions, did not make any comment.

As an eye-washing effort, CMR Girls College warden Preethi has been suspended by management. She is in police custody and investigation is going on. While the truth over the allegations will eventually surface, the incident is latest among the continuing series of mishaps and mistakes in Malla Reddy’s Education empire.

While Malla Reddy family might try to divert these issues, presenting them as vendetta politics, the fact that thousands of students are involved in the process, cannot be overlooked and taken lightly.

For instance, in the present incident, girl students have been alleging that cooking staff and servants staying in the hostel premises might have placed the cameras in bathrooms. They are also complaining that the wall on the backside of hostel is short, giving easy access into hostel for even outsiders. This is a serious issue, keeping in view the fact that hundreds of girl students are staying in the college hostel.

Angered by CMR College management, Telangana Women’s Commission has ordered for a probe on the incident.

Malla Reddy has been making efforts to present himself as an educationist, who is churning out engineers, doctors and graduates in record numbers. But the point here is, he is not educating them freely. He is charging lakhs of rupees in fees from students. And many of the students from whom Malla Reddy is collecting money belongs to poor and middle class sections.

For instance in case of CMR Engineering College Girls Hostel, it is said that management has collected Rs 1,13,500 from each student. That’s a huge amount for a middle class family.

Even after collecting so much amounts, Malla Reddy and his family is giving scope to so many serious complaints. With skeletons tumbling out of Malla Reddy education empire, it’s high time he takes corrective steps, as lives of thousands of students are involved.