Parents seek clarity on Al-Falah Medical College’s status

The memorandum, dated November 22 and signed by parents from multiple states, flagged concerns over possible action by the National Medical Commission (NMC), suspension risks from the Association of Indian Universities and ongoing security and enforcement inquiries linked to the institution.

Parents of MBBS students at Al-Falah Medical College, Faridabad, visited the campus on Saturday to meet faculty members and submit a written appeal to the Vice Chancellor, seeking immediate clarity on the institution’s academic standing, future operations and degree validity amid mounting regulatory scrutiny and financial investigations.

Parents and students come out after a meeting with the administration of Al-Falah University in Faridabad on Saturday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

The memorandum, dated November 22 and signed by parents from multiple states, flagged concerns over possible action by the National Medical Commission (NMC), suspension risks from the Association of Indian Universities and ongoing security and enforcement inquiries linked to the institution.

Parents said the situation has created unprecedented distress for hundreds of medical students. Many travelled from Chandigarh, Lucknow, Agra, Delhi, Haldwani and other cities to personally hand over the representation. “We cannot afford ambiguity when it comes to our children’s medical careers. They have worked extremely hard to reach here, and their futures cannot remain uncertain,” said advocate Khushpal Singh from Chandigarh. The letter urged the vice chancellor to clarify the university’s recognition status, any regulatory proceedings underway and steps being taken to ensure that MBBS degrees issued to current batches remain valid.

Inside the campus, students said academic activities continued without disruption. Abhimanyu Singh, a first year MBBS student, said the classroom schedule remained unchanged. “Our classes are going on as usual. Teachers take lectures and practicals regularly. There is no difference in our daily routine,” he said, adding that students were aware of the anxiety their parents were experiencing. Several students, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they had been advised not to comment publicly.

The memorandum carries signatures of parents including Rajnikant Rajwar, Nitesh Bhatnagar, Khushpal Singh, Yogender Singh, Randhir Singh, Girish Khanna, Sunil Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar, Geeta Gupta, Dr Sheema Khan, Subuhi Arshad and Rashmi. A parent present during the visit said, “We have submitted our representation and the management has received it. They assured us that students’ careers are not at risk and the college will not be shut down.”

Later, a senior professor at Al-Falah told reporters outside the campus that “the university will not shut down,” attempting to dispel speculation that followed recent enforcement actions. Around 20 parents had assembled after reports about potential regulatory consequences, including a show cause notice from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council for outdated accreditation details on the university website. The university termed it an “oversight” and removed the information, calling it a “website design error.”

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) investigation into the Al Falah group, which runs the university, medical college and hospital, continues. ED officials have alleged large scale financial irregularities, diversion of funds to companies linked to family members of chairman Siddiqui and the use of shell firms to route money. Siddiqui was arrested earlier this week under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, with searches across 25 locations leading to the recovery of cash, digital devices and financial documents.

Parents said they will continue to seek updates until a formal assurance is issued on degree protection and academic continuity.