ALL EYES ON HCU” has been trending recently due to widespread attention on the ongoing student protests at Hyderabad Central University (HCU), also known as the University of Hyderabad (UoH). The protests center around the Telangana government’s plan to auction off 400 acres of land near the university campus in Kancha Gachibowli, which students and activists argue is ecologically sensitive and vital to the area’s biodiversity.
The students, supported by environmentalists and various public figures, are demanding the cancellation of the land auction, the removal of police and machinery from the campus, and the preservation of the area’s natural habitat, which they claim supports hundreds of plant and animal species. The movement has gained significant traction online, with social media campaigns like “ALL EYES ON HCU” and “SAVE HCU BIODIVERSITY” amplifying their cause. Thousands of users have shared these hashtags and templates, drawing national attention to the issue.
The Telangana government, however, maintains that the land belongs to the state and is not part of the university’s official holdings, citing legal rulings from 2022 and revenue records. They argue the redevelopment, which includes plans for an IT park, will boost economic growth and urban development. This stance has fueled a political clash, with opposition parties like the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticizing the Congress-led government for prioritizing commercial interests over environmental and educational concerns.
Tensions escalated with reports of police detaining protesters and clashes on campus, further intensifying public outrage. The situation remains fluid, with a court hearing scheduled for April 7, 2025, to address the dispute. For now, the protests and the “ALL EYES ON HCU” trend continue to spotlight the conflict between development and conservation at Hyderabad Central University.
