Families protest in Srinagar alleging detention, harassment
JKSA writes to HM Amit Shah seeking revocation of FIRs and migration to recognised institutions
Varsity files FIR against 17 students, Registrar avoids detailed response to allegations
Irfan Yattoo
Srinagar: Families of Kashmiri students studying at a private university in Rajasthan on Thursday staged a protest in Srinagar, alleging that their children were detained for two days and subjected to harassment after questioning the recognition status of their nursing course.
The protesters parents and relatives of students enrolled in the B.Sc Nursing programme at Mewar University in Chittorgarh said many of the students are in the final stage of their four-year course and are approaching their eighth semester.
According to the families, the students had taken admission in the university under an education initiative linked to the Army’s Sadbhavana outreach programme aimed at supporting students from Jammu and Kashmir. They said the students joined the course believing it was fully recognised and would enable them to pursue professional careers in nursing.
Concerns, however, surfaced recently after students allegedly found that the B.Sc Nursing programme does not have approval from the Indian Nursing Council (INC) or the Rajasthan Nursing Council (RNC) statutory bodies regulating nursing education, raising fears that the degree may not be valid for professional registration.
Parents participating in the protest said the students had already spent nearly four years pursuing the course and were now facing uncertainty about the recognition of their qualification.
Sayira Bano, one of the protesting parents, said the students have almost completed their studies and are about to enter the final semester. “Suddenly they are told that the course may not be recognised. This is devastating for the families,” she said.
Bano said the issue escalated after students sought clarification from the university administration and regulatory authorities regarding the approval status of the programme.
“When they allegedly failed to receive a clear response, some students staged a protest on the campus demanding transparency and official documentation confirming recognition of the course,” she said.
She added that the students have two key demands: migration to a recognised university and withdrawal of the FIRs registered against those who protested.
Family members claimed that 17 students were detained by local authorities in Rajasthan following the campus protest and remained in custody for nearly two days before being released on March 10.
Another parent, Tahir Maqbool from Sopore, whose relative studies at the university, said the students were treated harshly for raising concerns about their academic future.
“Our children were lodged in jail for two days. They were mentally harassed and treated like criminals for asking about the validity of their course,” he said during the protest in Srinagar.
Abrar Ahmad, a student from Sopore enrolled in the B.Sc Nursing programme at Mewar University, said the uncertainty over the course recognition has left many students anxious about their future.
“We have already completed almost seven semesters and invested years of hard work and money in this course. We have been protesting for the past two years. In 2024, we even held a day-and-night protest for 12 days, after which the university administration assured us through a written affidavit that all approvals would be obtained before December 4, 2024,” he said.
Abrar added that the administration had also promised that if the approvals were not secured, the students would be migrated to another college while retaining the same scholarship benefits.
“However, a few days ago, 17 students from Kashmir were booked under an FIR for speaking the truth. We are demanding the withdrawal of the FIR and our migration from the college so that our future can be saved,” he said, alleging that students were being threatened with police action if they did not leave the campus.
Reacting to allegations of students and parents, Registrar Mewar University, Dr. Chandikaditya Kumawat, told Kashmir Horizon that he was busy with an important engagement, and disconnected the call. Later, he did not replied to repeated calls from the reporter.
“I know the issue, I am busy in some important meeting,” Kumawat said before disconnecting the call.
Earlier, Senior Admission Manager at Mewar University, Udai Lal Regar, said the matter is being looked into by the Registrar and that the issue had already been raised by students with the university administration.
Prof. (Dr.) Alok Misra, Vice-Chancellor of Mewar University, did not respond to repeated calls from the reporter. His version will be updated in the online edition as and when a response is received.
Students had already registered FIR at Gangrar Police Station in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh district against several officials of Mewar University over alleged fraud related to nursing courses.
According to the FIR (No. 0041/2026), registered on February 18, 2026, the complainants alleged that the university advertised admissions to the B.Sc Nursing programme, claiming that the course was recognised by the Indian Nursing Council (INC) and the Rajasthan Nursing Council (RNC). Believing the claims, several students took admission in 2022 after paying around ₹1 lakh as admission fees along with other charges.
The complaint also states that around 44 students from Jammu and Kashmir, many of them admitted under a special scholarship scheme, were enrolled in the same course. When students raised questions about the validity of the programme in 2024, several of them were allegedly suspended by the university administration.
Based on the complaint, police have registered a case under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 318(2) related to cheating, against university officials.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking intervention in the matter and demanding the revocation of FIRs and suspension orders issued against Kashmiri students at the university.
In its letter, the Association said more than 50 Kashmiri students enrolled in the fifth semester of the B.Sc Nursing programme at Mewar University recently came to know that the course allegedly lacks mandatory approvals from the Indian Nursing Council and the Rajasthan Nursing Council.
JKSA National Convenor Nasir Khuehami said the students are expected to complete their degree within the next few months but are now facing deep anxiety about the validity of their qualifications and their eligibility for professional registration.
“If the programme indeed lacks the required approvals, the degree obtained by the students may not be recognised for professional practice, putting several years of academic effort and financial investment at risk,” Khuehami said.
He said the students had approached the university administration seeking official documentation confirming the recognition of the course but were allegedly not provided with clear answers.
According to the Association, after students staged a peaceful protest on campus, the university administration lodged an FIR against 17 Kashmiri students who participated in the demonstration. The students were subsequently detained, while 33 others were suspended by the university.
The Association has urged the Union Home Minister to ensure that the FIRs and suspension orders are revoked and to order an independent inquiry into allegations of assault, harassment, and intimidation faced by the students.
JKSA National President Umar Jamal also appealed to the Centre to direct the Rajasthan government to intervene and resolve the crisis.
He further demanded that the affected students be allowed to migrate to recognised nursing institutions so that their academic future is not jeopardised.
The Association also called for strict action against the university, including blacklisting the institution if serious irregularities are found in the conduct and recognition of the programme.
