Osmania University research output declines amid fund cuts

HYDERABAD: Chief minister Revanth Reddy has expressed hope of developing Osmania University on par with global institutions such as Stanford and Oxford. However, research activity at the university has been steadily declining, according to data reviewed for National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) submissions.

Central grants for research fall sharply in three years

Reports show that while research funding has dropped sharply, staff salary grants have risen year on year. Research grants sanctioned by central government agencies — including the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) — fell from ₹52.45 crore in 2020-21 to just ₹3.17 crore in 2023-24.

Consultancy projects and faculty numbers see steep decline

Consultancy projects have also reduced. In 2021-22, the university executed 125 projects worth ₹8.87 crore. By 2023-24, this had declined to 115 projects with earnings of ₹5.47 crore. Faculty shortage is another pressing issue. Against a sanctioned strength of 1,267 permanent professors, only 325 are currently in service. Senior academics said this shortage is severely affecting research output.

Despite the decline in research, salary grants have increased substantially. In 2021-22, the university received ₹542 crore for staff salaries. This rose to ₹653 crore in 2023-24.