Hyderabad: At a time when "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" campaign is reverberating across the nation, a latest move by Telangana government of inviting only "unmarried" women for admissions into residential colleges has triggered controversy.

The authorities have justified this 'unmarried' clause for women stating that married women are a distraction for the other students in the college.

Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS) has issued a notification inviting women (unmarried) applicants for admissions into the state's welfare residential women's degree colleges for the academic year 2017-18. The last date for submitting the application is March 26.

However, The TSWREIS authorities have justified their move and pressed that they have done for the welfare of students only to avoid from getting distracted.

"It has been done with a good intention to ensure other girls in the residential colleges do not get distracted because there is every possibility of husbands visiting wives," said B. Venkat Raju, TSWREIS content manager.

Meanwhile, Society secretary, Dr RS Praveen Kumar ruled that they don't have any intention to hurt anyone's feeling, adding, they won't prevent married women from giving admissions if they approach them.

"We don't encourage married women, but we will not prevent them if they approach us for admission. The idea behind the move is that married women generally pursue education as day scholars," Kumar said.

The women applicants studying in such residential colleges are provided free of cost, right from education to food

TSWREIS move has already receiving flak from social activists as V. Sandhya of progressive Organisation of Women says, " it is not only a deplorable move but the institution of marriage itself is being put to disgrace."

The women applicants studying in such residential colleges are provided free of cost, right from education to food.

At present 23 residential colleges are functioning and the government plans to open 119 such colleges this year. 75 percent of seats are reserved for SC and remaining 25 percent are left for ST/BC and General category.