Students at Al Falah University are demanding that the institution should change its name after the arrest of several faculty members accused of planning the Red Fort blast. A day after worried parents met university officials, students gathered on campus on Sunday to raise their demand for rebranding of the institution.
The issue has intensified after the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) served a show-cause notice to the university, putting its accreditation under question. Although there has been no further communication, students say they feel abandoned.
They say their future is now at stake. With the university not planning to shut down, students cannot be shifted to another institute. They argue that the only way to protect them from lifelong stigma is to rebrand the university.
An MBBS student stated that search Al Falah on Google and you would only see news linking it to terrorists. Some of our seniors going abroad for specialisation were denied admission at the last minute and no respected institution wants our applications now, the student added. “My degree cost about Rs 1 crore, and the university must take responsibility for our future,” she further said.
Another student shared similar fear. “I am in my final year and planned to pursue my specialisation in London. I have good scores, but now my counsellor says I won’t even be able to apply as many institutions have barred Al Falah students. The university tells us to stay quiet and has threatened us for speaking to the media.”
As the crowd on campus grew and tensions rose, Vice Chancellor Bhupinder Kaur Anand came to speak to the students. The students argued with her, and a 40-minute audio recording of the exchange is now circulating. Some students accused the Vice Chancellor of threatening them and ordering them not to record videos. Sources say the university has prohibited students from talking to the media, but many have already emailed the Centre and state authorities, asking for help to save their future.
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