35 Kashmiri students suspended by Rajasthan university over protest

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association Sunday expressed “deep concern” over the suspension of 35 Kashmiri students from Mewar University, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. In a statement, the national convener of the association, Nasir Khuehami, said that these students have been protesting for the past three days, “day and night”, due to the university’s failure to secure the necessary approvals from the Rajasthan Nursing Council (RNC) and Indian Nursing Council (INC) for its BSc Nursing course.

He said that the absence of these crucial approvals jeopardises the academic future of the students. “Instead of addressing their legitimate concerns and protecting their academic careers, the university opted to suspend the students as a response. This harsh action is unacceptable and a direct attack on the students’ rights to raise their voices for justice,” he said.

According to an order issued by the university Registrar, 35 B.Sc. (Nursing) second year students were suspended on Saturday “for nuisance and deplorable acts.” The order states that these students will not be allowed to enter the university premises till further orders. They were also instructed to vacate the hostels by 8 pm Sunday.

Talking to The Indian Express, university Registrar Pradeep Dey described the issue related to approval to the course as a “misunderstanding” and that the university has filed a case against the Rajasthan Nursing Council. He also said that the investigation against students is pending.

Khuehami said that the association has been monitoring the issue for the past few months, during which the university repeatedly assured the students that the approvals would be obtained soon. Two months ago, the university registrar even gave a written promise, assuring the students that the matter would be resolved shortly. However, despite these commitments, there has been no significant progress, and now the university is asking for yet another month to address the issue. This delay is unacceptable and has left the students with no choice but to protest, he said.

Khuehami added that on October 18, a scheduled meeting with the university’s proctor, which was intended to address the students’ concerns, did not take place as planned, leaving the students frustrated. He said that in response to the protests, the university administration resorted to punitive actions by suspending 35 students instead of taking any concrete steps to resolve the issue or preserve their academic careers. (Indian Express)