Srinagar, Mar 11 — Around 50 Kashmiri students pursuing BSc Nursing at Mewar University in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh are facing legal action and suspension after protesting the alleged lack of mandatory approvals for their course, with the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) seeking intervention from Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
According to JKSA, 17 Kashmiri students have been booked in an FIR and detained by local authorities, while 33 others have been suspended by the university following protests on the campus.
The controversy involves students currently in the fifth semester of the BSc Nursing programme who were admitted under a Jammu and Kashmir scholarship scheme funded by the Indian Army. The students recently claimed that the course does not have mandatory recognition from the Indian Nursing Council (INC) and the Rajasthan Nursing Council (RNC).
“With only four months left before graduation, the students are in deep distress. If the programme lacks these approvals, their degrees will not be recognised for professional practice, rendering years of academic effort and financial investment futile,” said JKSA national convener Nasir Khuehami.
The association said the situation escalated after the university administration allegedly failed to provide documents confirming recognition of the course. Students then staged protests on the campus demanding clarity, with police monitoring demonstrations outside the university premises.
JKSA alleged that instead of addressing the issue, the university initiated disciplinary and legal action against the students.
Calling the measures coercive, the association urged the Union Home Ministry to intervene and ensure the students are not penalised for raising concerns about the validity of their degrees.
JKSA said two options could resolve the issue: the university should immediately secure the necessary approvals from the relevant councils or facilitate the transfer of affected students to recognised institutions to protect their academic future.