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On Thursday, The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) expressed "serious concern" over the suspension of 33 Kashmiri students from Mewar University in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, after they demonstrated opposing the non, approval of the B.Sc. Nursing course in the university by the Rajasthan Nursing Council (RNC) and the Indian Nursing Council (INC).

National convenor of JKSA, Nasir Khuehami, said the absence of statutory recognition has placed the academic future of over 50 Kashmiri students enrolled in the programme in serious jeopardy. Without RNC and INC approvals, the validity of their degrees, professional registration, and future employment prospects remain uncertain. What should have been a matter of regulatory compliance has now turned into a full-fledged crisis for students, who invested their time, resources, and aspirations in the course, he said.

University Registrar Dr Chandikaditya Kumawat told The Indian Express, “There is a system when you’re in a university. And if you are creating a nuisance, then definitely, we have to suspend the students. We have not rusticated them, but suspended them. And whatever they are doing is not the correct way. What we have done is right; our NOC is under process, but delayed due to an administrative delay.”

“Our inspection went well, and our report was submitted through a proper process on the basis of which we will get the NOC; I don’t think there will be any issues in obtaining the NOC. I have been pursuing it regularly, and we are awaiting further orders. We are expecting that it will be approved within days of the completion of the ongoing Budget session,” the Registrar said, adding that the university gave admission to students “on the basis of the court orders”.

JKSA’s Khuehami said the university had repeatedly assured the students that the required approvals would be secured. In fact, the Registrar issued a written commitment last year, in which he promised that the problem would be solved soon. As a matter of fact, no substantial progress has been made despite these guarantees. The administration, instead of giving a clear picture or a definite timeline, keeps on asking for more time, thus students are left in a state of anxiety and uncertainty about their careers, he said.

He revealed that basically students had no option but to hold their breath for a very long time, and eventually, they went on a peaceful protest to save their academic future.

Instead of engaging with the students' legitimate complaints constructively, the university management has suspended 33 students, he said. The move to discipline students seems more like an attempt to quiet the dissenting voices, he indicated, rather than to remedy the mistake of the institution. In fact, by suspending students who raise genuine academic concerns, the university is only provoking them and deepening the distrust, he pointed out.

The association has also urged Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and his Jammu and Kashmir counterpart, Omar Abdullah, “to intervene and resolve this crisis”. It urged CM Sharma to ensure that either the necessary approvals are secured without further delay or the affected students are accommodated in a duly recognised institution, without any academic loss.

Medical, Law and Engineering students from the premier institutions of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, along with four other departments, are striking against an unclear proposal that would convert their existing facilities into a deemed, to, be university, the sources quoted on a Wednesday.

Besides these, seven colleges in the island geography, i.e. Jawaharlal Nehru Rajkeeya Mahavidyalaya (JNRM), Andaman Law College, Andaman College (ANCOL), Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS), Dr BR Ambedkar Institute of Technology (DBRAIT), Tagore Government College of Education (TGCE) and Mahatma Gandhi Government College (MGGC) have their affiliation with Pondicherry University.

The students have turned up for a demonstration deciding on the Centre's plan to switch the affiliation from Pondicherry University to the proposed Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Institute of Higher Learning which will be a deemed, to, be university.

"We have been protesting against this decision for a few days now. "We are demanding that the proposal be withdrawn and the current affiliation be continued because we fear that the change might cause disruption to courses and examinations, increase the fee and there might be a problem with degree recognition, " one of the students on strike said.

Student leaders said they are seeking written guarantees from the authorities that academic continuity will be preserved and that there will be no extra financial burden arising.

"We want clarity and transparency. Any decision that affects thousands of students must be made only after a proper consultation, " a student leader said.

Several political parties, including the Congress and CPI(M), have also supported the students along with student unions like NSUI, ABVP, and SFI.

TSG Bhasker, chairman of the campaign committee, Andaman and Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee (ANTCC), said he stands with the protesters and requested the administration to reconsider the decision for the sake of the students from the remote island territory.

On the other hand, the Andaman administration in a statement said that there would be no fee hike and that the academic transition would be carried out smoothly.

Officials said consultations are ongoing and students' concerns are being examined.

"Students should not be worried as there will be no fee hike. Fees will remain nominal to ensure accessibility. The constituent colleges shall continue to function as they are with the existing infrastructure. We will ensure further augmentation of infrastructure for improving the quality of education under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Institute of Higher Learning," Director (Education) Vikram Singh told PTI.

On whether stipends paid to students of the constituent colleges would be stopped, he said, "It will not be stopped, and the UT administration shall continue to fund the Institution Deemed to be University even after the five years of its establishment. Not the least, it will be NIRF and NAAC accredited as it is a mandatory requirement as per UGC (IDTBU) Regulations, 2023." 

Andhra Pradesh is gearing up for a massive growth in the AYUSH healthcare sector, where new national institutes, medical colleges, and integrated hospitals are planned. The state government has asked the Centre to give Andhra Pradesh one of the three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda (AIIA) announced recently, said Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav.

Since AIIMS is located in Mangalagiri, the state has officially asked for the AIIA to be set up in Tirupati. The minister was optimistic that the Centre would give a positive reply. Meanwhile, land has been finalised for two major national-level institutions in Amaravati’s jurisdiction.

These take in the Apex Naturopathy National Institute, Shakamuru, which is being set up with an investment of `750 crore, and the Central Research Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy (CRYON), Nandimpalem, Guntur district, where `100 crore has been sanctioned. Besides, the government is equally paving the way for two new Ayurveda colleges, one each in Dharmavaram and Kakinada, and a Unani medical college in Proddatur. In Dharmavaram, the government has acquired land, while locations are being scouted in the other two areas.

Construction tenders will be invited soon, with each college expected to cost around `70 crore. In addition, six integrated AYUSH hospitals will be set up across districts including Srikakulam, ASR (Paderu), NTR (Nandigama), Guntur (Tenali), Prakasam (Giddaluru), and Tirupati. Each hospital will cost approximately `15 crore, totaling `90 crore.

Recruitment is also underway, with 358 posts to be filled under the National AYUSH Mission, covering doctors, therapists, yoga instructors, and support staff. Another 140 teaching and non-teaching posts will be filled on a contractual basis in Ayurveda and Homoeopathy colleges.

The Minister highlighted that the Centre has already sanctioned `165 crore under the National AYUSH Mission, a first for the state, and assured that more funds would follow.

He criticised the previous YSRCP government for neglecting AYUSH services between 2021–24, while praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special focus and Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s initiative in strengthening traditional medicine alongside allopathy.

The Minister also revealed that from April 1, 2026, the state plans to roll out a Universal Health Policy under the NTR Health Trust, offering insurance-based medical services. Under the ‘Sanjeevani’ scheme, free blood tests will be provided to all citizens.

University of Mumbai has declared 304 examinations dormant, meaning the university will no longer conduct exams for these papers across multiple academic streams.

According to a circular dated February 10, the decision covers two categories:

• 125 papers with no student registration in the past two to three years
• 179 papers linked to outdated syllabus or exam patterns discontinued for over ten years

University officials said the move is part of ongoing curriculum restructuring to keep courses aligned with current academic frameworks.

As per the circular issued by the Mumbai University dated February 10, if any affiliated college submits a proposal for student registration for papers which are declared dormant due to no registration, the university will conduct examinations for those specific courses. But the Board of Examinations and Evaluation at Mumbai University has clarified that examinations of courses that are stopped for ten years will not be conducted under any circumstances.

An official from the MU explained, “Restructuring of courses and changes in the paper-patterns is a very common phenomenon. Due to failures in exams, there are students appearing to clear the back-log, sometimes continuing for multiple years. Although the syllabus or the paper-pattern may have changed by then, these repeaters apply to appear for the exam in that same pattern. The decision to declare exam dormant is pertaining to such papers – divided in two different categories – those which have not seen student enrollment for the past two-three years and those which are declared closed for ten years now.”

In the past only once – in 2007 – examinations were declared dormant. At that time examinations which had no student registration were declared dormant. But for papers in old-patterns students continued to have opportunities to appear for the exam.

As per information shared by the university, among the 125 examinations with no student registration, the discontinuation of papers include 23 from faculty of Commerce and Management, 15 from faculty of Humanities, 42 from Interdisciplinary Studies and 45 from the Faculty of Science and Technology. Whereas among the 179 examinations which are declared dormant because those courses are closed for ten years – include 10 examinations from faculty of Science and Technology, 86 from the faculty of Humanities, 42 from Interdisciplinary Studies and 45 from faculty of Science and Technology.

Meanwhile, in an important measure to address the teacher shortage in colleges, Maharashtra's Higher and Technical Education department has announced approval for faculty recruitment on a total of 5012 posts in private aided colleges across the state.

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.

After 20 years of raising government schools with better infrastructure, libraries and science learning facilities, an NRI couple created a fine example of rural education development through diaspora in India.

The Goutham Rural Education Development Society (GREDS) is a non-governmental organisation located in Ravinuthala, Andhra Pradesh, which has been working for 17 years to improve the conditions for learning in public schools that frequently lack academic resources even though they are government funded.

The organisation, which was set up in 2006 by Kodavalla Hanumantha Rao and Anuradha, natives of Prakasam, has so far committed roughly 2.5, 3 crore to rural education projects in the district. Their focus has been on improving practical learning and exam readiness for students in government schools.

Science Labs, Libraries and Learning Materials

Many schools in Prakasam district face shortages of laboratory equipment, books and classroom furniture compared to student strength. GREDS stepped in to bridge this gap by:

• Establishing full-fledged science laboratories in Inkollu and Ravinuthala Government High Schools
• Providing benches, dictionaries, grammar books and Class IX–X study materials
• Supporting academic infrastructure financially
• Creating a large rural library to promote reading habits

A major initiative was the setting up of “Kodavalla Venkateswarlu Grandhalayam” library in Ravinuthala in 2009 with an investment of nearly ₹1 crore. The library houses thousands of books, including material for state and national competitive examinations.

According to retired headmaster Moparthi Venkata Rao, the facility benefited hundreds of students preparing for careers, and continues to attract regular readers despite the rise of mobile learning.

From Rural Struggle to Global Success — Giving Back to Education

Hanumantha Rao did his initial schooling in his hometown. After graduating from IIT Madras, he went for further studies in the United States, where he is now a technology executive based in Seattle.

He came from a low income family background and thus, he was very close to the scarcity of academic materials. This was one of the reasons that motivated the startup of GREDS.

We have always wanted to create a better academic environment for the students of rural areas. We base our further support on the needs that come up, he added.

This initiative is a case study of how community philanthropy and NRI participation can be leveraged to raise rural government schools, enhance student achievement levels and career prospects of disadvantaged students in India.