UoH students left in the lurch

HYDERABAD: The worst fears of the students of the integrated master’s course in nursing sciences (IMSc) at the University of Hyderabad have come true.
The Indian Nursing Council (INC) has rejected the varsity’s application for recognition of the five-year course.
This bit of bad news couldn’t have come at a worse time for the students, most of whom are away at home. The non-recognition of the course by INC will prove to be a hurdle for the first batch of 20 students who have completed their fourth year. “Without the recognition from INC, we may get a degree but not a job,” said a fourth-year student who did not want to be named.
The decision of the INC was conveyed to the students on Friday. “The dean Dr Geeta Vemuganti asked us to join alternative post-graduate courses. But we have already completed four years and this is not possible! We have joined the five-year course instead of studying a bachelor’s degree and PG course in nursing. We want the IMSc degree with recognition from INC,” said the IMSc student of nursing sciences.
When contacted, the dean of the School of Medical Sciences refused to comment. According to the students, the School of Medical Sciences is starting two new PG courses in nutrition and genetics while the management school is offering MBA in Hospital Management and these are being suggested as an alternative by the university administration. “We are being asked to join other PG programmes instead. This will take us six years to get our degree instead of the five-year integrated course we had signed up for,” lamented Mahendra (name changed), a student.
The university had applied for INC recognition of the course only in January 2011 while the course was initiated in 2008. A total of 80 students are enrolled in the stream from first year to fourth. Student protests were held in March this year to highlight the issue and the vice-chancellor had then assured them that the university will try to get the INC recognition at the earliest. An INC committee had visited the university for inspection between April 16 and 21 and informed the university of its decision last week.
Upon hearing the news, the students are planning to return to the campus earlier than planned to meet the vice-chancellor and chalk out their further course of action.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)