Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 18: Nursing students of St. Joseph Institute in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district protested today against the Indian Nursing Council’s (INC) decision to withdraw national recognition for the institute’s nursing programs, raising fears that their degrees may become invalid outside Jammu and Kashmir.
Carrying placards and chanting slogans, dozens of students blocked traffic on the Baramulla-Srinagar highway for nearly 30 minutes. They appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir administration and the Union Health Ministry to intervene, warning that their academic future was at risk.
The students said that the INC, in a recent order, said recognition for the college’s courses was withdrawn after an inspection under Section 14 of the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947, found “serious deficiencies.” They added that, according to the directive, degrees earned after March 2025 will only be valid within Jammu and Kashmir. “Students will not be eligible to sit for national-level recruitment exams such as NORECT, CRE, ESIC, and RRB. INC has withdrawn recognition for our college. Now, we cannot apply for jobs outside J&K or sit in national-level exams,” one protesting student said.
Another added, “We got admission here through BOPEE, and only today we came to know that our college is not INC-recognized. We appeal to the administration to fulfill our demands so that our future is not destroyed.”
The students accused the college management of remaining silent about the deficiencies cited by the INC and failing to address them despite repeated warnings.
Meanwhile, police and civil officials reached the spot to prevent escalation. Officials assured the students their concerns would be raised with higher authorities. “Every possible effort will be made to safeguard your academic future,” one official told them. After the assurances, students dispersed peacefully and traffic resumed on the highway.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
