Bhat Yasir
After protests by students, the government of Punjab directed BDU University to Pay Rs. 10 lac as compensation to each student affected by university fraud.
The Desh Bhagat University had enrolled nursing students over and above the prescribed number of seats in the colleges.
Students said that after repeated requests to the university to redress their issue, the university failed to sort it out. Subsequently, the affected students staged protests in the college campus which turned violent when police came to disperse the protesters.
Many students including Kashmiria were allegedly assaulted by the university authorities.
“It is clear that you have committed fraud on the students for which criminal action is being initiated against you separately,” reads a report by the Department of Medical Education and Research, the government of Punjab.
It’s pertinent to mention here that the Punjab police had registered two separate FIRs against students as well as university officials. However, an FIR against students was canceled after the interference of local opposition leaders of Punjab and Jammu Kashmir Students Association.
The Medical Education and Research Department’s report further reads as, It is informed that the inspection of your nursing institutions was done by the Medical Education Department in the presence of DBU authorities on 15th and 16th September 2023. “This resulted in bringing forth very glaring deficiencies in the working of the nursing courses in your university,” it reads.
“Inter alia, more than double the number of students which were permitted by the Indian Nursing Council have been admitted by you in your university. The physical infrastructure is totally inadequate. The students who have been admitted over and above the prescribed number of seats were found sitting on Dharna and holding the DBU management responsible for ruining their career,” it reads. Adding, “The district administration and the police were doing their best to control the situation, but the anger and frustration of the nursing students (especially of the session 2020-21) towards the management of the DBU, was growing higher with every passing moment.”
In light of the detailed inspection report which was submitted by the officers of the Medical Education Department Punjab, the competent authority has ordered that: The DBU will continue teaching the students who have been legitimately admitted, as per INC norms, in various nursing courses of the university. “The DBU will not admit any new student for any nursing course from now onwards.”
“The DBU should provide the complete list of the 3-year students of the session 2020-21 to the Medical Education Department who have been affected by the illegal admissions, and need to be shifted to protect their future,” the report reads.
The Medical education department ordered university authorities that, “The DBU is also directed to pay a fine of Rs.10 lakh to each of the student who has been enrolled over and above the prescribed number of seats to compensate for the trauma and dislocation which the students will have to face.”
It is also made clear that DBU will have to deposit the fees for the current year. i.e., 3rd year, to the institutions where the students will have to be shifted, as would inevitably be demanded by the respective colleges, it reads.
The DBU shall also provide complete records like attendance, results of the examinations undertaken, results of the practical undertaken, fees paid, and security. etc. which will be required by the colleges in which the government will try its best to accommodate them, it further reads.
“It is made clear that government will try to facilitate the transfer of these children from your institute to those colleges where seats which are approved by INC and are lying vacant.”
It reads as, “The government in no way is responsible for ensuring that these children are accommodated, the complete fault is that of the university and shall continue to be so. The primary responsibility of rehabilitating the students and to ensure that they are suitably accommodated in other colleges and to compensate them financially lies with the Desh Bhagat University.”
An affected student while expressing satisfaction said that they are happy after the concerned department’s directions to the university.
“We are thankful to the Punjab government, local opposition leaders, and Kissan leaders who stood with us during the toughest times,” students said.