FARIDABAD: "I hope things settle down in a few days because I believe I can be a good doctor and my parents are spending a fortune on my studies." A fourth-year student at Al-Falah University's School of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, the 22-year-old from Pulwama voices the collective anxiety churning through the campus that has become synonymous with the
Delhi terror attack.
From discovering that one of their professors, Umar Un Nabi, was the bomber who triggered the Nov 10 blast that killed 15 people near Red Fort metro station to founder Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui being arrested by Enforcement Directorate, the world has rapidly fallen apart for Al-Falah University students.
They have several things to worry about – the fate of their college and course, the association of the name with a terrorist module whose principal architects were three of their professors, the impact on their job prospects and the huge loans their parents have taken. Over five years of the MBBS course, a student pays nearly Rs 90 lakh.
"Everyone is really worried right now because of what is going on. We are reading what is appearing in the media, trying to ignore all the anxieties and carry on with our normal routine," says the Kashmiri student.
A resident doctor who has just completed her MBBS and is doing her internship on the campus says one of the reasons why medical seats at Al-Falah get taken up is the campus having its own hospital. Al-Falah has 200 seats in its MBBS course, which began in 2019 after its engineering college shut down. The university has, however come under a cloud over its accreditation claims with National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) issuing it a show cause notice over display expired accreditation statuses.
The intern admits fast-paced developments over the past 10 days have put considerable pressure on the student community. "If I keep thinking about everything that's being said in the news, I won't be able to work," says the intern, who is based in Faridabad and was a day scholar at the university. She hopes the Al-Falah association will not damage her career. "I'll do my MD from a different university. This won't be the only degree to showcase," she adds.
Some students say they have prepared for the worst, including being shifted to another college and hope govt will take care of them in case the university shuts down. "I am hoping that we get shifted to a govt medical college," says a third-year student from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh who fears the university may lose recognition after Delhi Police filed two FIRs and University Grants Commission sent a notice.
Students say they have been discussing contingency plans with their families. "Almost everyone on the campus is worried that we might lose the recognition. This is the conversation happening all the time," says a third-year student from Jhajjar.
It's mid-session but the campus wears a desolate look and the hospital barely has any patients – outcomes of events of the last 10 days and the terror investigation that has seen different agencies camping here, looking to unearth information about Umar, Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie and Shaheen Shahid.
A hospital official tells TOI patient footfall had dried up since the Nov 10 blast. "The emergency department is usually full, but for the last week, there are hardly 30 patients coming in a day. Some of the senior staff has left and those who are still there have decided to admit only those patients who need critical care," says the official.
According to sources in National Medical Commission, which regulates medical education, the Haryana education department is looking into the college's accreditation. Indian Medical Association president Dilip Bhanushali says he hopes the authorities investigate the university thoroughly and the future of genuine students is safeguarded. Requests to Al-Falah for a comment did not elicit a response.
Al-Falah, which acquired university status in 2014, started as an engineering college. The engineering college shut down in the 2018-19 session because of what sources said was low intake of students. Al-Falah medical college is among the nine private medical colleges in Haryana.
In the pursuit of the MBBS degree, reputation is not always the primary consideration. And a steep fee no discouragement as long as the degree is a recognised one. An Al-Falah seat was on offer when students with low ranks came looking. Scoring in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is done out of 720 marks. The top 50-60 ranks are allotted to students who score 650-plus, which means they are eligible to get admission in the best govt medical colleges.
A parent who explored Al-Falah before the Nov 10 blast decided against it. "The infrastructure was basic for the fees the college is charging. There are colleges like World College of Medical Science in Jhajjar that offer better facilities with similar fees structure of around Rs 88 lakh for the entire course," he says.
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