Medical University cautions students against misleading campaign by nursing colleges

Tribune News Service

Balwant garg

Faridkot, January 14

With the decreasing enrolment for the last few years, some nursing institutes are allegedly indulging in mudslinging to paint their competitors in poor light and show their distinctive identity to attract students.

The Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS) has come to the rescue of ‘victim’ institutes and asked aspirant students to check the credentials of all institutions with the Indian Nursing Council (INC) instead of believing in the smear campaign.

Sources in the BFUHS revealed that many nursing colleges were facing this “discrediting” campaign at the hands of some institutions in the neighbouring states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.

As a large number of students from Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir take admission in various nursing courses in Punjab, a few institutions in these states are indulging in a smear campaign and spreading rumours that some colleges in Punjab are not recognised by the INC.

Even on their home ground, many nursing institutes in Punjab are trying to discredit their competitors within the state by spreading false information on social media about some institutions. Punjab has a high number of nursing institutions.

“After the issue was brought to the notice of the BFUHS authorities that some unscrupulous elements are spreading rumours about many nursing colleges in the state having being derecognised by the INC, we have suggested students to clarify the information from the INC and check the list of institutions declared suitable by the council after inspections,” said Dr Avnish Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, BFUHS.

“We suggest students not to get misled by mischief mongers. Students can even demand information regarding suitability certificate issued by the INC to colleges,” he said.

As per the information available with the INC, 160 nursing institutes in Punjab offer GNM course in comparison with 58 institutes in Haryana, 33 in Himachal Pradesh, six in Jammu and Kashmir and 67 in Rajasthan. For the BSc course in nursing, 91 institutes in Punjab, 29 in Haryana, 22 in Himachal, 10 in Jammu and Kashmir and 81 in Rajasthan have recognition from the INC.

For ANM, the course in nursing, 112 institutes in Punjab, 55 in Haryana, five in Himachal and three in Jammu and Kashmir are recognised by the INC.

All these institutes were recognised by the INC after an inspection under Sections 13 and 14 of the INC Act for the 2022-2023 academic session.

After conducting an inspection of all institutions in the country, the INC has withdrawn the recognition of one institute each in Punjab and Haryana and two institutes each in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Despite the withdrawal of the recognition of these institutions, the INC has clarified that any person holding qualification from these institutes shall be entitled to get registered in that particular state where they have completed the course.

Advice to students

• Many nursing colleges are facing 'discrediting’ campaign by some institutes based in HP, Haryana and J&K
• BFUHS asks students to check the credentials of all institutions with the Indian Nursing Council

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