Baramulla, Sep 18 : A protest broke out in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday morning after students of St. Joseph Nursing Institute staged a demonstration against the Indian Nursing Council’s (INC) decision to withdraw national recognition for the institute’s nursing programmes. The move has raised alarm among hundreds of students whose degrees now risk being rendered invalid outside Jammu and Kashmir.
Carrying placards and raising slogans, the agitating students blocked traffic on the busy Baramulla–Srinagar highway for nearly half an hour. They appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir administration as well as the Union Health Ministry to urgently intervene and restore recognition, warning that their academic future was in jeopardy.
The INC, in a recent order, stated that its recognition for St. Joseph’s courses was being withdrawn due to serious deficiencies found during an inspection conducted under Section 14 of the Indian Nursing Council Act, 1947. As per the directive, degrees obtained from the institute after March 2025 will only be valid within Jammu and Kashmir. Graduates will not be allowed to appear in national-level recruitment examinations such as NORECT, CRE, ESIC, and RRB.
Students, visibly distressed by the decision, expressed their anguish in front of officials and the media. “INC has withdrawn recognition for our college. Now, we cannot apply for jobs outside J&K or sit in national-level exams,” said one protesting student. 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 administration of staying silent throughout the process, saying they had not been informed about the deficiencies highlighted by the INC. They alleged that the institute’s management failed to take corrective measures despite repeated warnings, thereby putting their careers at risk.
As the protest intensified, police and civil administration officials arrived at the spot to prevent escalation. SHO Baramulla, Syed Ovais Geelani, along with Tehsildar Baramulla, Inam-ul-Haq, engaged with the students to defuse tensions. College Principal Sister Vanisha also joined the talks that were later held inside the classroom premises.
Officials assured the students that their concerns would be taken up with higher authorities. “Every possible effort will be made to safeguard your academic future,” one official said while urging the protesters to maintain calm. After these assurances, the students dispersed peacefully, allowing traffic on the highway to resume. [KNT]
