Telangana: Government Degree College Vikarabad moves out of school and into DIET campus

The Government Degree College in Vikarabad has been moved to a new campus, shifting out of a shared school building where it was operating with limited classroom space. The college, established in 2021, did not have a dedicated campus, with students often adjusting to irregular schedules and limited infrastructure.

Following representations to the state government to shift the college from Zilla Parishad High School (ZPHS), the college has now been relocated to the Government DIET College campus on Alampally Road in Vikarabad. The new campus was inaugurated on April 3 by Telangana assembly speaker, Gaddam Prasad Kumar, the college said in a statement.

Gaddam Prasad Kumar also represents Vikarabad in the Telangana legislative assembly.

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Osmania University college run in shifts

The college, affiliated to Osmania University, was earlier operating from the (ZPHS) campus, where 19 BA, BCom and BSc batches, across English, Telugu and Urdu-medium tracks, were being accommodated in just five classrooms. Students and teachers had reported disruptions due to shared space, shifting classrooms, and limited access to facilities such as laboratories and a library.

PV Geethalakshmi Patnaik, principal, said the new location provides 18 rooms that will be converted into classrooms. “This will be sufficient for the current strength and allow us to conduct full-day classes without shifts,” Patnaik said.

While the shift to the DIET campus is expected to provide immediate relief, the process of identifying land for a permanent campus is still underway, according to Patnaik. “We are working towards having a permanent campus with better infrastructure,” she said.

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Another degree college in 2 rooms

The condition of Osmania University’s Government Degree College (GDC) at Pargi village in Vikarabad district is worse where multiple batches are accommodated in just two classrooms.

"A critical prerequisite for academic excellence is a stable, permanent physical environment,” noted the Telangana Education Commission in its draft Education policy for Telangana 2026, adding that “The GDCs continue to suffer from inadequate, outdated, and poorly maintained infrastructure, affecting the quality of education, student experience, and accreditation process.”

According to the report, currently, Telangana’s 24 (approximately 16%) GDCs operate without dedicated buildings, functioning out of shared spaces such as schools, junior colleges, or welfare hostels.

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“Additionally, 13 institutions are currently housed in dilapidated rented buildings. These premises often fall below baseline safety codes and fail to meet the pedagogical requirements (such as laboratories and libraries) mandated by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC),” the report states.