Telangana High Court Backs Govt Order on Engineering Fee Control for 2025–2028
Justice K Lakshman of the Telangana High Court on Friday refused to grant interim relief to a group of engineering colleges and their managements who filed writ petitions challenging GO 26, which mandates the continuation of the existing fee structure for the academic years 2025–26 to 2027–28.
Hyderabad: Justice K Lakshman of the Telangana High Court on Friday refused to grant interim relief to a group of engineering colleges and their managements who filed writ petitions challenging GO 26, which mandates the continuation of the existing fee structure for the academic years 2025–26 to 2027–28.
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The Government Order (GO 26) was issued by the Higher Education Department and the Telangana Admission and Fee Regulation Committee (TAFRC) on June 30, 2025.
Court Declines to Intervene Under Article 226
Justice Lakshman stated that the High Court cannot fix college fees under Article 226 of the Constitution, as it would interfere with the statutory powers of the TAFRC:
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“Such exercise will lead to usurping the statutory powers of the TAFRC and render it a toothless tiger.”
TAFRC Ordered to Finalize Fee Structure in Six Weeks
The court ordered that TAFRC must complete the entire process of reviewing and finalizing fee proposals submitted by the colleges and forward the final fee structure to the government within six weeks. This decision came after hearing both parties and examining the petitioners’ claims.
Petitioners Claim Fee Hike Was Already Approved
The engineering colleges argued that the fee hike proposals were submitted in December 2024 and were approved by TAFRC in March 2025, with proper records maintained in the committee’s register. Senior Advocate Avinash Desai, representing the colleges, requested the court to consider the committee’s prior approval of the new fee structure.
Collected Hiked Fees Subject to Final Decision
While the interim relief was denied, the High Court clarified that any increased fees collected from students would be subject to the final judgment. The Convenor of TG EAPCET 2025 was directed to issue a circular informing students via its official website or another public platform.
Counter-Affidavits and Final Hearing on August 12, 2025
The Higher Education Department, TAFRC, and other respondents have been asked to submit their counter-affidavits, and the matter has been adjourned to August 12, 2025, for a final hearing.
Commissioner Directs TAFRC to Act Promptly
Following the court’s instructions, Commissioner of Technical Education A. Sridevasena issued a directive to the TAFRC to conclude the fee revision process and send it to the government for official notification within the six-week deadline.
