SRINAGAR: A delegation of Jammu and Kashmir Students Association, led by its National Secretary Malik Adnan, met Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet Minister Javed Ahmad Dar to discuss the long-pending issue of excess fee refunds for students of the Government B.Sc. Nursing College, Jammu. The delegation also highlighted various other issues faced by students. Members of the delegation included Nasir Lateef, Umar Rashid, and Wasim Amin.
The issue, lingering since 2021, pertains to the students of the Government Nursing College Gandhinagar, now renamed Government B.Sc. Nursing College Jammu. Malik Adnan, the National Secretary of the Association, said that these students had secured admission through the JKBOPEE Entrance Test and were top-ranking candidates from the Jammu division. However, they were charged exorbitant feesââč70,000 for APL students and âč50,000 for BPL studentsâfar higher than the fee structure prescribed by the Health & Medical Education Department.
He explained that, following protests and interventions by higher authorities, students from other government nursing colleges in Jammu, including those in Gangyal, Akhnoor, Reasi, Udhampur, and Kishtwar, received refunds for the excess fees (âč60,000 for APL and âč40,000 for BPL). However, students of Gandhinagar College were excluded on the grounds that the college was then under the Higher Education Department.
This was despite the fact that, at the time of admission, the college was listedâlike other government collegesâunder JKBOPEE with the same admission criteria and fee structure. Adding to their grievances, the college was transferred to the Health & Medical Education Department in 2022 and merged with the Government Nursing College Gangyal. Despite this, students from Gangyal received fee refunds, while those from Gandhinagar did not, even though they were placed under the same administrative umbrella.
The students described this decision as discriminatory and misleading, pointing out that they were relocated from their originally chosen location during counselling and merged with another college, which had been their second preference. The delegation urged the Minister to address this inequity and ensure justice for the affected students. They emphasized that the students from Gandhinagar received no additional benefits despite paying higher fees.Responding to the concerns raised by the delegation, Minister Javed Ahmad Dar listened attentively and promptly wrote to the concerned department, ensuring swift action on the matter. He assured the delegation of his commitment to resolving the issue, stating,
"The students' demands are genuine, and this discrepancy needs to be addressed at the earliest." Adnan asserted, "We hope the government recognizes the unfair treatment meted out to these students. The rules and fee structures for all government colleges were the same, and this selective refund policy is unacceptable. These students are not just nursing students but also the pride of the Jammu division, having secured top ranks." The delegation also highlighted that the affected students had approached various officials over the years, but their case had been endlessly passed from one department to another without resolution. They expressed hope that, with the intervention of the elected government, justice would finally be delivered.
