Following a formal intervention by the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) highlighting large-scale over-admission at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K), the Veterinary Council of India (VCI) conducted an on-ground inspection and held interactions with students at the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry (FVSc & AH), Shuhama. The Council has assured that currently enrolled students will not face hurdles in securing registration and indicated that the intake capacity will be restored in accordance with approved norms.
The development comes after the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association formally raised the issue with the President of the Veterinary Council of India, Dr. Umesh Chandra Sharma, regarding a significant discrepancy in the university’s student intake capacity.
In a statement issued on Friday, National President of Association Ummar Jamal said that the association had submitted a formal representation to the VCI Chairman, seeking urgent intervention over what it described as arbitrary and excessive admissions by the university. According to the representation, approximately 180 students had been enrolled in recent batches against the VCI-approved intake capacity of only 75 seats.
Jamal stated that the over-admission had created deep uncertainty among veterinary students, particularly final-year students nearing graduation, regarding their eligibility for registration in the Indian Veterinary Practitioner’s Register (IVPR). He further said the association had raised serious concerns about whether the existing infrastructure, academic resources, and clinical facilities at SKUAST-K were adequate to meet the Minimum Standards of Veterinary Education (MSVE), 2016, given the inflated student intake.
Taking immediate cognizance of the complaint filed by JKSA, the Veterinary Council of India deputed Dr. Amit Nain, a VCI led member team, from New Delhi to Srinagar to assess the situation on the ground and hold an emergency interaction with the FVSc & AH Students’ Council.
During the meeting, Dr. Amit Nain acknowledged the seriousness of the issue and appreciated the efforts of the students in bringing the matter to light. He noted that findings obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act had alerted the Council to the fact that the university was admitting nearly 180 students while officially reporting an intake capacity of only 75 seats.
The VCI representative assured the students that he would personally place the matter before the VCI Chairman and other council members to ensure that all currently enrolled students receive their due registration without facing any professional or academic obstacles. He also indicated that strict directions would be issued to the SKUAST-K administration to restore admissions strictly in line with the legally approved intake capacity of 75 seats.
Following the intervention, SKUAST-K Coordinator Saqlain Rashid, expressed gratitude to VCI President Dr. Umesh Chandra Sharma and Dr. Amit Nain for their prompt response and constructive engagement with the concerns raised by students.
They appreciated the Council’s willingness to directly engage with stakeholders and address the matter in a time-bound manner, stating that the intervention had provided much-needed clarity and reassurance to affected students. The association expressed hope that the assurances and measures discussed during the interaction would be implemented in letter and spirit to safeguard the welfare and future of the veterinary student community at SKUAST-K.(KINS)
