Hyderabad, Aug. 19 -- Polytechnic students across Hyderabad and Telangana escalated their protests this week against the state government's move to merge polytechnic colleges with ITIs and Apprentice Training Centres under the newly formed Shakti department, with agitations reported in Ramanthapur, Musi Tank Bund, and reportedly in Ramnaspura and Bahadurpura, triggering traffic snarls across several city stretches.

The protests stem from GO 97, issued on July 3, which renamed the Labour, Employment, Training and Factories Department as SHAKTI, short for Skill, Human Capital and Knowledge Training Initiatives, and brought polytechnic colleges under the ambit of the Young India Skill University.

Students at Ramanthapur's government polyte...