Siliguri Paramedical Diploma Scam: 300+ Students Protest Fake Certificates at Salbari Institute

The protest of over 300 students outside Asha Paramedical and Nursing Institute, Salbari, Siliguri, on February 8, 2026, was due to their complaints that they were tricked into enrolling in fake paramedical diploma courses which were eventually converted into vocational training certificates.

Students Allege Admission Fraud

According to the protesters, students from Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim and Nepal enrolled after Class 12 believing they would receive recognised paramedical or nursing qualifications. They paid approximately ₹1.3 lakh for diploma courses and up to ₹2.6 lakh for degree programmes.

However, midway through the two-year programme, students from arts and commerce backgrounds reportedly discovered they were ineligible for paramedical practice. The institute allegedly shifted them to vocational training courses — a rule students claim was never disclosed during admission counselling.

Graduates also noticed certificates being changed from “paramedical training centre” to “vocational training centre,” making them unacceptable to hospitals and clinics. Many said they now face unemployment despite investing savings and taking loans.

Protest and Political Reaction

Dipto De, leader of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad also supported the protest and requested refunds along with compensation for the academic loss and a criminal investigation into the running of the institute.

Students alleged that the director of the institute escaped from the campus when demonstrations became violent. Pradhan Nagar Police Station received complaints.

Sarang MP Raju Bista asked the officials to punish the culprits severely and said that educational scams put the entire youth's profession at risk in the region.

Hostel Conditions and Academic Concerns

Besides that, they protested about the poor condition of the hostel facilities, which are charging 7, 000 per month, and a drastic shortage of faculty, as only 7, 8 teachers are handling more than 300 students. There are several batches under the cloud of uncertainty as the final exams are scheduled for April 2026.

The students are saying that the case is a reflection of the increasing education scam of unrecognised paramedical institutes, which have left hundreds of people with invalid certificates, financial loss and uncertain futures.