Alarm has been raised over the suspension of 33 Kashmiri students at an Indian university in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state of Rajasthan. According to Kashmir Media Service, 33 Kashmiri students were suspended by the authorities of Mewar University, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, after they protested against the university’s failure to obtain mandatory approvals from the Rajasthan Nursing Council (RNC) and the Indian Nursing Council (INC) for its B.Sc. Nursing programme. 

Kashmiri student unions and members of civil society have expressed grave concern over the suspension. They stated that the university’s failure to secure statutory recognition has placed the academic future of more than 50 Kashmiri students enrolled in the programme in serious jeopardy.They said that without RNC and INC approvals, the validity of the students’ degrees, professional registration, and future employment prospects remain uncertain.

What should have been a matter of regulatory compliance has now turned into a full-fledged crisis for students who invested their time, resources, and aspirations in the course. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has been urged to intervene immediately and take up the matter with the Government of Rajasthan and the concerned authorities to ensure that the well-being and academic continuity of the affected students are not compromised.

 The students have put forward clear demands: either transfer them to a recognized college or immediately secure the necessary approvals for the B.Sc. Nursing programme without causing any loss to their academic progress.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)