Above: Staff Nurses of various Tamil Nadu Government Hospitals observing a day-long fast in support of their various demands including Time Bound Promotion (file picture). Photo: UNI

The Karnataka High Court recently ordered that the renowned Indian Nursing Council (INC) had no authority to recognise nursing colleges in the state. This order came from a technical and legal perspective, but the after-effects of the order have been disastrous on the entire nursing community, on aspiring nursing students and on the entire profession in the state as a whole.

There are currently over 2 lakh nursing students in the state, and their future is at risk.  Trained Nurses Association of India (TNAI) Karnataka chapter secretary Prof Girijamba Devi has been quoted in the media as saying: “With our students’ educational and professional life at stake, the latest order has shocked us.”

She put the onus on the state government to take steps to safeguard the future of the students.

INC is recognised even outside India. As per people in the know, the INC’s unique accreditation number is even used to verify the validity of the degree outside India. A source has been quoted in the media as saying: “The unique INC number attached to each institution is considered equally important as the degree in all countries abroad and is seen as the basic scale for document verification.”

The court order has resulted in banks now refusing to give student loans to aspiring nursing applicants. It is even making it difficult for students currently pursuing nursing courses.  This, say officials, has created panic among students.

Further legal options are being sought, but meanwhile, the chaos continues.

—India Legal Bureau​