Telangana Inter Board streamlines affiliation for junior colleges
HYDERABAD: With the start of the academic year often delayed, the issue of affiliation for private junior colleges had long been a source of anxiety for students and parents. Colleges operating from buildings that did not meet Fire Services norms were denied no-objection certificates (NOCs), resulting in the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education refusing affiliation. This left thousands of students uncertain about whether they would be allowed to appear for examinations.
For nearly a decade, the situation followed a familiar pattern. Students would enrol in such colleges despite the lack of affiliation, and the government would step in days before examinations to grant conditional, one-year exemptions. Amid growing criticism of this practice, the government has now moved to end the uncertainty.
What was the issue?
Of the nearly 1,200 private junior colleges in the state, around 400 had been operating from residential or commercial complexes, including apartments and shopping buildings. While the number has been declining annually, it stood at 209 this year. As these buildings violated prescribed norms, the Fire Services department refused to issue NOCs, leading the Inter Board to deny affiliation.
With government approval, the Inter Board has now blocked such colleges from applying for affiliation for the 2025–26 academic year. These colleges no longer appear on the Board’s website. At the same time, they were given three options:
Shift to another building within the same mandal.
Relocate anywhere within Hyderabad, Medchal–Malkajgiri, Rangareddy or Sangareddy districts.
Convert the existing premises exclusively into a college by vacating residential units and shops.
Failure to comply would mean closure, the Board said. Following the decision, most colleges shifted to compliant buildings, while several obtained Fire Services NOCs after applying afresh. Officials said fewer than 10 such colleges remain.
Benefits of the decision
The affiliation process will now be completed before colleges reopen each year, ensuring clarity on which institutions are authorised. With colleges operating only from buildings that meet safety norms, students will also have better protection in the event of fire or other emergencies.
