Corporate colleges accused of exploiting students, parents in Telugu states

Rajahmundry – Andhra Pradesh: Rashtriya Praja Congress (RPC) Founding President Meda Srinivas alleged that private and corporate institutions such as Sri Chaitanya and Narayana are turning education into a system of exploitation, subjecting students to immense psychological pressure and parents to financial distress, while government oversight remains ineffective.

‘Corporate education becoming mental burden’

Speaking at the party’s weekend meeting on Sunday at the RPC headquarters, Srinivas likened the conditions in certain private institutions to “Kalapani prisons,” claiming that students are being “mentally tortured under the guise of education.” He said strict routines, excessive academic pressure, and commercial motives are depriving students of emotional freedom and creativity.

Parents burdened by high fees

Srinivas said parents are selling their properties to afford “lakhs of rupees in fees,” unaware of the difficult conditions in hostels, where he alleged unhygienic facilities and poor maintenance persist. Students who raise concerns reportedly face harassment, he added.

Accountability and media’s role questioned

He accused sections of the corporate media of ignoring student hardships while profiting from “expensive advertisements” by these institutions. Srinivas further said that promotional campaigns featuring film celebrities mislead parents about the real conditions faced by students.

Call for strong regulation

Srinivas urged the governments of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to introduce strict legislation against the exploitation by corporate educational institutions. He questioned whether the Intermediate Boards in both states were acting as independent authorities or as “subordinates” to private institutions.

The meeting was presided over by RPC Senior Secular Simma Durga Rao, and attended by DV Ramanamurthy, Dudde Suresh, Vardhanapu Sarath Kumar, Gudla Sai Durga Prasad, Basa Sonia, and other RPC leaders.