Osmania students boycott exams over Telangana

A large number of students of Osmania University boycotted their post-fraduate semester examinations which began in Hyderabad on Wednesday, demanding that the government should introduce a bill in the Parliament for creation of Telangana state.

 In the morning session, over 82 per cent of the students boycotted the third semester exams conducted for MA, MSc and MCom courses. In the afternoon session, only 32 per cent of the students of Master of Computer Application third-year appeared for their first semester exams. Similarly, post graduate law exams recorded a 42 per cent attendance, a university official said.

OU Students Joint Action Committee had called for the boycott. Pro-Telangana students took out rallies on varsity campus and at different constituent colleges and affiliated colleges in Hyderabad and other districts. Some students tore up question papers, answer sheets and hall tickets near the OU Arts college.

"Those who boycotted the exams also stopped other students from entering the exam hall," the official said.

However, the exams would continue as per the schedule in the larger academic interests, the official said.

The Andhra Pradesh government had earlier ruled out postponing semester exams, which will continue till February 7. Anticipating trouble, police had clamped prohibitory orders around exams centres in the city.