THE Telangana state government’s decision to auction 400 acres of the University of Hyderabad’s land has sparked widespread protests among students, faculty, and staff. The Students’ Union, along with various campus organisations, staged a demonstration on March 13, 2025, opposing the move and forming a Joint Action Committee (JAC) to spearhead the resistance. Despite repeated appeals, the university administration has remained silent on the issue, failing to take action to reclaim the land.

Tensions escalated on March 30, when students received reports of police forces and JCB vehicles entering the university’s East Campus to begin clearing the disputed land. In response, the Students’ Union, joined by members of the JAC and concerned students, organised a peaceful rally to the site. The protest aimed to draw attention to an illegal land grab that has threatened the university’s territorial and ecological integrity for over two decades.

Despite the non-violent nature of the demonstration, authorities deployed a large police force, including armed personnel, to the area. Five JCB vehicles were reportedly used to clear portions of the forest land, raising alarms about environmental destruction. As students exercised their democratic right to protest, police resorted to forceful detentions, allegedly manhandling several demonstrators, including Students’ Union General Secretary Nihad Sulaiman. Over 30 students were taken into custody without any official information on their whereabouts, further fuelling tensions on campus.

The silence of the university administration on this matter has drawn sharp criticism from the student body and faculty members. Protestors have accused the administration of siding with the authorities instead of protecting students and addressing concerns about the encroachment. The university security forces have also been accused of collaborating with the police to suppress student voices.

The Students’ Union and the Joint Action Committee have called for the immediate release of all detained students and demanded a formal statement from the university regarding the land encroachment. They also seek accountability for the use of force against peaceful protestors. The Students' Union, as part of the Joint action committee to protect the university land will continue to resist this land grab both legally and politically.

Students and faculty have urged civil society groups and media organisations to take note of the grave injustice and stand in solidarity with the students fighting for their rights and for the protection of the campus land.