Nursing institutes seek SC relief over admission dates

The Nursing Training Institutes Association (NTIA) has moved the apex court seeking an extension of nursing admission dates in Punjab till December 31, citing hardship faced by aspiring students.

NTIA president Gurdyal Singh Buttar said a number of eligible students could not secure admissions due to the recent floods, which caused extensive damage and financial losses to many families. He said the unforeseen situation had directly affected students’ ability to complete the admission process.

Dr Anshu Kataria, president of the Punjab Unaided Colleges Association (PUCA), said nearly 2,950 seats remain vacant in nursing courses across the state. These include 466 seats in Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) course, 1,072 in General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM), 280 in BSc (Nursing), 956 in Post Basic BSc (Nursing), and 176 in MSc (Nursing). He said the number of vacant seats highlighted the need for immediate intervention to protect interests of the students.

Dr Kataria said the PUCA had been repeatedly approaching courts for relief over admission deadlines for the past five years and had received extensions on several occasions.