Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy laying the foundation stone for new academic blocks at Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Women’s University in Hyderabad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy urged students of Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Women’s University (VCIWU) to compete with international universities such as Harvard and Stanford to realise their full potential.
Addressing a packed attendance of students, teaching faculty, and officials of various departments at VCIWU on Saturday, formerly University College for Women or ‘Koti Women’s College’, he said that the government was fully committed to the development of the iconic college.
The college got university status in 2022 and was called Telangana Mahila Viswavidyalayam. In 2024, the government amended the Telangana Universities Act 1991 and Renamed IT Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Women’s University.
Mr. Reddy, along with Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and Minister for Transport Ponnam Prabhakar and senior officials, laid the foundation stone for building new academic blocks and for restoration of Darbar Hall at the university. The project was sanctioned ₹500 crore and is stated to be completed in 30 months from now.
Vice-Chancellor Surya Dhananjay Naik, thanking Mr. Reddy and while recounting the college’s history, said that it began in 1924 with just seven students. Now, it has a strength of about 7,000 students in over 70 courses, 31 departments and nearly 700 staff.
Women in leadership roles
Sharing his vision, Mr. Reddy wanted the students to chart their careers in Medicine, Law, Engineering, coveted posts in the bureaucracy, and politics. “Women, given a chance, demonstrate their skills, prove their mettle and become inspirational role models, like Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, Education Secretary Yogita Rana and Minister Seethakka in Telangana,” he said.
Emphasising that the country’s progress requires increased women stakeholdership, Mr. Reddy also recounted the women leadership in former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, former President Pratibha Patil, former Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar, and Sonia Gandhi as the longest serving president of the Congress party.
“Just as Rajiv Gandhi (former Prime Minister) brought the 33% quota for women in local body elections, Sonia Gandhi is leading the demand for implementation of reservations for women in legislatures. There will be a day it will be implemented, and I want you to enter the Assembly/Parliament and strive for progress in this country,” he told the cheering students.
Published – March 08, 2025 09:44 PM is
