Why did students protest Kancha Gachibowli?

• University of Hyderabad students protest over the auction of a 400-acre land parcel, Kancha Gachibowli, within campus premises.

• The land was part of the 2,324 acres granted to the University of Hyderabad in 1974, but was not formalized through title transfer.

• The government took up large tracts of land, unused by the university, for various purposes including establishing the Indian Institute of Information Technology, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, and the Sports.

• The land was part of diversions in 2004, under the then Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government.

• The land was later cancelled after the then Chief Minister cancelled the land transfer, leading to a legal battle.

• Environmentalists argue that the land is home to a rich variety of native flora and fauna, including migratory birds and a unique spider, Murricia hyderabadensis.

• The government decided to auction the land to garner funds for welfare measures, as it had inherited a State debt of nearly ₹4 lakh crore.