Hyderabad: A series of incidents at educational institutions, including a student's death during a college Dandiya event and controversies over film promotions and holiday announcements, has prompted the Telangana government to consider stricter regulations on film promotions and other commercial events on college and university campuses.
According to sources, the government is examining a proposal to prohibit film promotions, screenings and other commercial programmes at colleges and universities. The move follows concerns that inadequate safety arrangements at events involving large gatherings could put students' lives at risk.
On August 22, a crowd surge occurred during the pre-release event of actor Yash's film Toxic at Malla Reddy University in Gundlapochampally. As students and fans rushed forward to catch a glimpse of the actor, a floodlight pole and speaker boxes fell, leaving several people injured. Two of them reportedly sustained serious injuries.
More recently, on October 17, an 18-year-old first-year EEE student, Sona Narayan Das, was killed and at least 14 others were injured when an 80-foot temporary lighting structure collapsed during a Dandiya night at MVSR Engineering College in Nadergul. The event was part of the institution's two-day technical and cultural festival, Sangamam 2026. The structure reportedly collapsed amid strong winds while students were participating in the celebrations.
Another controversy surfaced in October after a video from the trailer launch of Venkatesh-starrer Aadarsha Kutumbam at Malla Reddy University went viral. During the October 23 event, a representative of the institution spoke about declaring a holiday on October 30, the film's release date, and encouraged students to watch the movie. The remarks drew criticism over the use of educational institutions to promote commercial films. The university later clarified that no official holiday had been declared.
Meanwhile, Balakishta Reddy, Chairman of the Telangana State Council of Higher Education (TSCHE), has prepared and submitted a draft report to the government proposing legislation to strengthen student safety in educational institutions.
The proposed framework is also expected to place greater responsibility on college and university managements to ensure adequate safety arrangements for large-scale programmes, including crowd management, stage safety and fire prevention measures.
The government is yet to issue formal orders on the proposed restrictions. Official guidelines are expected to be released soon.