New Delhi: The 13 new government/self-financing nursing colleges in Kerala were started without obtaining the nod of the Indian Nursing Council (INC), but they have emerged now. These colleges are yet to obtain the No Objection Certificate (NOC).

The institutions can operate without INC approval, but their graduates may face employment restrictions in other states. Further, the same will also come in the way of availing educational loans.

It is learned that the institutions haven’t submitted applications to the INC before commencing functioning. The list of nursing colleges in the country, published by the INC last week, doesn’t feature their names. The admission process for 820 BSc nursing seats across 13 institutions has gotten underway recently. Complaints have arisen that many of the institutions don't even have an office.

The INC's instruction for obtaining the NOC is to ensure that educational institutions have basic facilities and a uniform standard for nursing education throughout the country.

Institutions will have to first apply to state nursing councils. If satisfied, the state councils will submit the applications in this regard to the INC. The latter, if it finds everything in order upon examination, will issue the NOC certificate. If it detects any shortcomings, then the institutions will be asked to take rectification measures first before issuing them the certificates.

How does ‘no recognition’ affect students?
Most states strictly implement the provision that students need to pass out of recognized institutions to take up jobs there. Some even examine the recognition of the institutes in each and every year of the pursuit of studies by the students there.