Students left high and dry

-  Nalla Malla Reddy and Malla Reddy Engineering College withhold memo and transfer certificates.

-  Over 400 students didn’t get hall tickets.

What the court said

The Telangana High Court recently reiterated that colleges "have no lien" over students' certificates and cannot hold them hostage for fees.

Fee ransomNizam Institute of Pharmacy are demanding full fees from parents upfront, despite scholarship approvals.

Hema Singuluri | Hyderabad 

The battle for academic certificates in Hyderabad has become a distressing ordeal for students, with several colleges continuing to withhold original documents despite full payment of fees and clear government directives. Multiple complaints to the State Human Rights Commission and court petitions have revealed a widespread, long-standing practice: colleges using certificates as leverage.

Engineering colleges like Nalla Malla Reddy and Malla Reddy Engineering College have been repeatedly named in recent grievances. BTech graduates from Nalla Malla Reddy College in Ghatkesar reported that the institution withheld their mark memos and transfer certificates, even refusing to accept court notices. Students claim the management demands outstanding fees—despite reimbursement approvals—as a condition for returning certificates.

Across Hyderabad, students express mounting frustration. “Over 400 students didn’t get hall tickets even after paying exam fees. It wasn’t like this before,” said Anushka, a BA Psychology student from Nizam College (Autonomous).

Students approved for fee reimbursement are being forced to pay full fees to retrieve their certificates, defeating the very purpose of financial aid. Pooja, a final-year BTech student from Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology, said she received only her marks memo while still waiting on her transfer certificate—despite court orders.

This delay is derailing students' futures. Sai Durga, a recent CVR College of Engineering graduate, lost a job offer from an IT firm because her college refused to release her certificates. The issue spans beyond engineering colleges—Rachel Ranjan, a mass communication graduate from Loyola College, said delayed certificate issuance left many graduates stranded for months.

Private colleges, particularly in areas like Balanagar, continue this practice despite judicial warnings. The Telangana High Court recently reiterated that colleges "have no lien" over students' certificates and cannot hold them hostage for fees. However, enforcement remains weak.

Compounding the issue is the delay in Telangana’s ePASS scholarship reimbursements, leaving both students and colleges in limbo. In some cases, colleges like the Nizam Institute of Pharmacy are demanding full fees from parents upfront, despite scholarship approvals.

For low-income families, these delays are devastating. With students missing job offers and admissions due to withheld documents, their academic and career prospects are being severely hampered. Legal action remains the only recourse for many as they continue fighting for what is rightfully theirs.