A ‘EEE Project’ solution for the University of Hyderabad land

After a week of intense tussle over the use of 400 acres of Kancha Gachibowli government land between students and the authorities, the Telangana government is toying with a new idea of making best use of the entire 2,000 acre land, including the University of Hyderabad land, into a hub of environment, education and employment.

It plans to transform the entire area into a tripartite hub focused on Employment, Education, and Environment in a win-win situation, called the EEE Project. The proposal put before Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy claims this will elevate Hyderabad’s status as a global education destination, environmentally sensitive and employment-oriented.

Central to the EEE Project is the establishment of the proposed Indian Institute of Management (IIM) on the UoH campus, alongside plans to attract foreign universities to create an “international education corridor.” The government is confident of getting an IIM for Telangana, which was promised in the A.P. Reorganisation Act. The Revanth Reddy government is seriously pursuing the case, and once it gets the nod, it may plan to establish the same on the vast unused land of the UoH.

The new policy of the Central government is to attract campuses of top universities like Harvard, Yale or Stanford and the recent US trip of Revanth Reddy’s team has initiated the discussion on this. It is confident of convertinng at least one of those discussions into reality.

In a bid to counter criticism of environmental neglect, the new plan proposes to develop a massive eco-park spanning a thousand acres, touted as India’s largest. The park will balance urbanisation with green spaces, featuring biodiversity zones and sustainable infrastructure. It means it would utilise some part of the UoH land for this as demanded by environmentalists.

At the same time, the proposal pushes the 400-acre Kancha Gachibowli site to be earmarked for an employment hub, projected to generate “a few lakh jobs” through IT industries and startups. The government emphasizes economic growth, particularly for youth.

Officials argue that the EEE Project’s integrated approach combines education, employment, and environmental conservation, legally utilising government-owned land for broader public benefit. “The eco-park and job creation initiatives reflect our commitment to both the environment and the economy,” an official revealed, stating that the proposal is one of the many put before the Chief Minister.

The proposal is also aware of the criticism from the students who would call it a “greenwashing” tactic to legitimise land acquisition. Critics would accuse the government of repurposing public educational land for other purposes under the new plan. But the proposal, however, insists the project aligns with “holistic development” idea where international quality education institutes, employment generation and green environment would co-exist.