Jamia Hamdard University and HIMSR Feud Leaves Students Stranded

Jamia Hamdard University, a prominent institution in Delhi, has found itself at the centre of a deepening dispute that has led to the withdrawal of all 150 undergraduate MBBS seats and 49 postgraduate medical seats for the 2025-26 academic year. The decision stems from allegations of financial irregularities and governance lapses at its affiliated medical college, the Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (HIMSR), leaving hundreds of aspiring medical students in uncertainty amid ongoing counselling processes. The new developments have prompted questions about the institution's internal management. 

Established in 2012 as the medical arm of Jamia Hamdard University, HIMSR had built a steady profile in the capital's private healthcare education sector, providing allopathic training and contributing to Delhi's pool of medical professionals through its attached hospital. Yet this progress has been halted by the National Medical Commission's latest seat allocation, which lists zero places for the institute. Reports suggest that the decision was taken following a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit that highlighted the alleged diversion of ₹813 crore intended for HIMSR and its facilities between 2011 and 2023.

However, HIMSR and Hamdard Education Society (HES) refute that the seat withdrawal directly followed or was caused by the CAG audit, insisting it's solely due to Jamia Hamdard University's unilateral affiliation revocation.

“We Witnessed the Turf War Firsthand”

Dr. Ali Asgar (name changed), currently completing his internship at Hakeem Abdul Hameed Centenary (HAHC) Hospital, reflects on years of tension between Jamia Hamdard University and HIMSR — tensions that he says were visible even to students early in their academic journey. A graduate of HIMSR’s MBBS program, Dr. Ali recalls the power struggle as a defining feature of campus life.

“This conflict didn’t begin overnight,” he explains. “It dates back to our first year, nearly four years ago. At the core of the dispute was a battle for administrative control—particularly, who had the authority to appoint HIMSR’s Dean and who would collect and manage student fees. The University wanted to place its own dean at the helm of HIMSR, but HIMSR resisted and insisted on retaining its own leadership. What followed was chaos—students witnessed it firsthand. At one point, the fight for control over the Dean’s office turned physical. There were bodyguards stationed there. Scuffles broke out. It reached a point where students were watching administrators brawl over an official chair. Eventually, HIMSR retained control, but it came at a cost.”

According to Dr. Ali, the situation deteriorated further in the years that followed. Faculty members were abruptly suspended, barred from entering campus grounds—a move that prompted student protests and drew the attention of local authorities. “The conflict escalated beyond internal politics,” he says. “Respected professors—some of whom had been teaching us for years—were suddenly denied entry without explanation. We were outraged. The students stood up and said, ‘You cannot treat our faculty like this.’ The matter became so serious that the police had to intervene, and the SDM was brought in to resolve the standoff. And the tension would always be at its peak just before the July 31 deadline, when we’re expected to pay our annual fees—which is no small sum.”

The tension, Dr. Ali says, had financial consequences as well, leaving students caught in bureaucratic limbo. “Each year, around the time fees are due, the University would issue circulars telling students not to deposit money into the HIMSR account. But as students of HIMSR, we naturally paid our fees to the institute—that’s where we studied, attended classes, and trained. Yet the two entities were fighting over who rightfully owned that money.”

Describing one of the more dramatic episodes from 2024, Dr. Ali recounts an incident that left students stunned. “I saw it myself—University officials came to the hospital’s OPD and attempted to take cash from the revenue desk. It was surreal. After that incident, HIMSR deployed its own private security to guard the area. That’s how far things had escalated. It wasn't just a disagreement anymore—it had become a turf war.”

Exams Cancelled, Results Withheld: How a Power Struggle Upended Students’ Futures

The fallout from the affiliation dispute has extended far beyond admissions, disrupting the academic lives of existing students at HIMSR, according to accounts from those directly involved. Dr Ali described how the University's role in issuing admit cards and declaring results became a flashpoint in the conflict. “Jamia Hamdard University had a role: to give admit cards and give results," he said. "When our junior batch was in their third year and their exams approached, the University did not give the students admit cards. The date sheet was announced by the University, but then there were no admit cards given. So the exam was called off a day before it was supposed to happen. This happened in October 2024. Students were panic-stricken. Then HIMSR conducted the exam on the same day.” 

The University's response only heightened the uncertainty, as it initially refused to announce the results and later withdrew them amid the governance tensions. Dr Ali continued: “Then the University said we will not announce results. Results were withdrawn. Then our batche's exams approached. The HIMSR Dean had asked for the admit cards from the University. And what the University did is they appointed their own Dean. We had never seen that Dean, and his signature was printed and the admit cards were released. Our exams were conducted, but when the results came, 12 students from our batch failed. Now the tussle started again because they had to conduct the supplementary exams within one month of the exam results being published, but the University refused to conduct the exams. This refusal threatened to derail the students' progress entirely."

The impasse led to urgent legal steps, with the affected students seeking court intervention, though the cycle of withheld documents continued. “The students would have lost their whole year. They approached the High Court. Then again the University did not give the admit cards. I can't tell you how much the students suffered," Dr Ali said. "HIMSR finally conducted the exams and published the results, and the students are currently doing their internship. But there is utter chaos. It is a messy situation to be in.” 

The disruptions have not been limited to examinations, extending into campus life and post-graduation formalities for HIMSR students. Dr Ali reflected on his own experience with escalating tensions in residential facilities: “I was living in the hostel till one year back then I left the hostel. Proctor from the University would come to the hostel and then create issues.” He explained that University officials began targeting accommodations, a pattern that has intensified amid the affiliation row. 

For newer cohorts, the situation has worsened, with no hostel allotments provided despite the University's prospectus outlining standard procedures for such facilities. “From 2024 batch students have not been allotted hostels. They are now getting the old students also vacated on the basis that they are from HIMSR. They are doing this despite these students paying hostel fees to Jamia Hamdard University,” stated Dr. Ali.

Students also told us that the University has not been issuing degree completion certificates to students. “Jamia Hamdard University is also not giving degrees to students. They are just not giving it. There are multiple issues that are going on. HIMSR is giving interim degrees but the final degrees are not being issued by the University,” stated another beleaguered student. 

Jamia Hamdard’s Reputation Faces Its Biggest Test Yet

Jamia Hamdard University, established in 1989 as a deemed-to-be university under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, traces its roots to the vision of Hakeem Abdul Hameed, a prominent philanthropist and practitioner of Unani medicine who sought to blend traditional healing systems with contemporary education and research. Beginning from a modest Unani clinic founded by his family in 1906, the institution evolved into a multidisciplinary hub in South Delhi, offering programmes across medicine, pharmacy, nursing, sciences, management, law and humanities. Privately managed yet nationally accredited, it has catered to thousands of students at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels, earning a strong reputation in India's private higher education sector, particularly in health sciences. Its pharmacy faculty has consistently topped the National Institutional Ranking Framework, securing the number one position in recent years, while the Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, set up in 2012, quickly established itself as a key player in medical education in Delhi with its advanced teaching hospital and strategic urban setting. 

This hard-won prestige now stands overshadowed by the affiliation crisis and financial allegations that have plunged the University and HIMSR into disarray. What was once a beacon for aspiring professionals in health sciences has become entangled in legal battles and administrative gridlock, with the Delhi High Court scrutinising governance lapses and fund diversions that have halted admissions and disrupted ongoing programmes. At the heart of this turmoil are the students and faculty, who bear the heaviest burden: learners face uncertain futures while staff undergo fractured affiliations and professional instability, all amid a controversy that threatens to erode the institution's legacy. 

What Did the CAG Report Say?

The audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), spanning the years 2011 to 2023, reportedly brought to light financial concerns at Jamia Hamdard University, particularly involving its medical institute. The examination focused on the handling of resources at HIMSR and the attached HAH Centenary Hospital, revealing that around Rs 813 crore had been transferred from these entities to the broader University framework, including the Hamdard Education Society. These movements were flagged as inconsistent with the intended use of funds derived primarily from medical fees and hospital revenues, which were earmarked specifically for advancing healthcare services and educational infrastructure. 

Reports indicate that the redirected funds appeared to support non-medical activities, such as covering salaries for staff outside the medical domain and other operational expenses unrelated to HIMSR's core functions. This practice was deemed a clear infringement of guidelines set by the University Grants Commission, which mandate that institutional finances remain dedicated to their designated academic or operational purposes without cross-subsidisation. Additional lapses included inadequate documentation and oversight in financial dealings, raising broader questions about accountability and the potential erosion of standards in medical training and patient care at the facility. 

“Cash Is Stolen. Offices Vandalised. Teachers Threatened with Eviction.”

The legacy of Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the founder of Jamia Hamdard University, has come under renewed scrutiny amid the ongoing crisis, with some within the institution suggesting that recent events have undermined the principles he championed. Born into a family of Unani practitioners, Hakeem Hameed established the university in 1989 to nurture a blend of traditional Indian medicine and modern scientific education, earning him posthumous honours including the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan for his contributions to philanthropy and national development. 

On July 22, 2025, marking the death anniversary of Hakeem Abdul Hameed, voices from the University community grew louder in expressing dismay over the institution's trajectory, framing the controversies as a betrayal of his selfless dedication. 

Dr Aqsa Shaikh, a Professor of Community Medicine at HIMSR, articulated this sentiment. “One wonders, how much pain Hakeem Sahab would feel if he were to witness the state of the beloved University he built from scratch—selflessly, with nothing but a vision for education and empowerment of the community’s young minds," she said. "Today, instead of flourishing, the institution is bearing the brunt of endless infighting among those entrusted with preserving his legacy. The very caretakers of his dream now appear to be its undoing.”

Dr Shaikh pointed to specific repercussions of the internal strife, including the recent exclusion of HIMSR from medical admissions, which she attributed not to institutional deficiencies but to factional disputes that have broader implications for national healthcare needs. “Just days ago, the esteemed medical college, HIMSR, was removed from the admission list," she continued. "Not due to any shortcoming on its part, but purely because of internal conflicts. As a result, 150 bright, deserving students have lost the opportunity to become doctors—healers that this country so desperately needs. And this is just one example. Other courses and training programmes are shutting down. Who benefits from this decay? The very status of Hamdard as a Muslim Minority Institution has been called into question—not by outsiders, but by insiders. Who needs enemies when such are the guardians?”

She went on to detail a litany of grievances affecting daily operations. “Driven by ego, personal interests, and narrow agendas, a handful of individuals are tearing apart what took over half a century to build," Dr Shaikh stated. "In the process, students, parents, and faculty are facing daily harassment and humiliation. Admissions are cancelled. Examinations are stopped. Results go undeclared. Degrees are withheld. Hostels are denied. Cash is stolen. Offices are vandalised. Teachers living on campus are threatened with eviction. Division is sowed between students and teachers of the two sides.” 

The roots of the current impasse can be traced to the passing of Abdul Mueed, the eldest son of founder Hakeem Abdul Hameed, whose death in 2018 ignited a prolonged family dispute over the governance and assets of the Hamdard institutions. This internal strife among descendants led to the signing of a Family Settlement Deed in October 2019, later amended in 2020, which aimed to delineate clear boundaries by establishing the Hamdard Education Society as a separate entity to oversee HIMSR and its hospital independently from Jamia Hamdard University. By 2021, both the university's board and the society had adopted resolutions formalising this autonomy, transferring operational control of the medical institute to HES in line with the deed's provisions, a move intended to resolve the inheritance-related tensions but which instead set the stage for escalating confrontations. 

Despite these agreements, relations deteriorated further in early 2024 when Jamia Hamdard sought to reassert influence, issuing directives for students to redirect fee payments to University accounts and attempting to appoint a new Dean for HIMSR, actions promptly contested by HES in the Delhi High Court. The tension further heightened when the University abruptly revoked its affiliation, justified by claims of lost administrative access but widely viewed as breaching a court-imposed status quo order to preserve existing arrangements during litigation.

Stuck Between Two Warring Sides: Students Plead for Stability

The ongoing institutional rift has taken a particularly heavy toll on students, many of whom describe a sense of utter helplessness amid the administrative chaos. Dr Shahida (name changed), from the MBBS 2019 batch at HIMSR, recounted how the underlying tensions predated the recent escalation, pointing to a similar dispute in 2017 that was ostensibly resolved through the settlement deed but later unravelled due to alleged breaches. “After the settlement deed was breached, there were issues and in between there was a period of calm also but in 2024 the problem reached its heights," she said. "We were not allowed to pay the fees in the HIMSR account. Students stopped getting hostel accommodation. Exams started getting cancelled. Degrees are not being given."

This pattern of disruptions has eroded the day-to-day stability essential for medical training, with basic academic processes becoming battlegrounds in the conflict. Dr Shahida highlighted the absence of student representation as a compounding factor, leaving individuals without organised channels to advocate for their needs. “Students have to beg and plead for everything," she added. "We don't have any unions or forums amongst the students that can take up the cause of the students. It's too much mental harassment."

Faced with prolonged uncertainty, many in her cohort have reached a point of disillusionment, prioritising their studies over involvement in the feud. “Majority of the students are fed up and we have given up on both parties," Dr Shahida explained. "We don't want to be involved in such conflicts. Each party wants us to go and protest here and there against the other party. Students and their precious time cannot be used for settling scores. We want to study. Our families have really struggled to get us admitted to college. But now we are stuck in this endless conflict.”

Recent graduates echo these frustrations, emphasising how the public narrative around financial allegations overshadows the human cost. Dr. Saud Khan, who completed his MBBS at HIMSR earlier this year and is now preparing for postgraduate entrance exams, acknowledged the university's claims but stressed the unresolved nature of the dispute. “The University Vice Chancellor in an interview said that there is a mismatch of 813 crores," he said. "But HIMSR has refuted this. While all this is going on the toll that this is taking on students is immense."

Dr Khan detailed specific episodes that illustrate the confusion sown among learners, such as abrupt communications that upend preparation routines. “This issue has been going on for sometime now but even today things are moving from bad to worse without any solution in sight," he continued. "For instance, the 2021 batch had an exam. The Jamia Hamdard University seniors came to the hostel late at night and said you don't have to appear for tomorrow's exams as there are no exams. So, the students stopped studying but then HIMSR never said it is not happening as HIIMSR said that everything is happening as per schedule. This made students paranoid in the night. Students started crying and panicking in the night.”

The withholding of essential documents has further hindered career progression for alumni, with international opportunities hanging in the balance. Dr Khan shared a personal anecdote about a peer's ordeal: “My friend wrote the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). He wanted his degree certificate from Jamia Hamdard University but the University said that we don't recognise your Dean and on this pretext withheld his degree. He needs the certificate before August end but he is still running around for the degree certificate.” 

Meanwhile, current students like Rajani Sharma (name changed), from the MBBS 2022 batch, have seen even extracurricular activities curtailed, as she noted: “When we wanted to conduct the fest last year we did not get the sports ground and we did not get any facilities from Jamia Hamdard University. Because of that we had to cancel our fest.”

“No Fund Diversion”: HIMSR’s Governing Body Refutes Rs 813 Crore Claim

In response to the mounting allegations, the Hamdard Education Society, which oversees HIMSR, has firmly denied any financial misconduct, attributing the exclusion of medical seats solely to the University's abrupt revocation of affiliation. According to their clarification, Jamia Hamdard's decision on June 6, 2024, to withdraw consent came without consultation and contravened a Delhi High Court order to uphold the status quo from September 2022, directly leading to the National Medical Commission's removal of the seats from its matrix. HES emphasised that no regulatory body, including the NMC or the Medical Counselling Committee, has cited compliance failures or financial issues against HIMSR as a basis for the action.

Dismissing the claims of the Rs 813 crore fund diversion as unfounded and potentially defamatory, HES stated that the figure stems from Jamia Hamdard's own records without HIMSR's involvement, and the institute has not been provided access to the underlying CAG audit. Instead, they pointed out that the sponsoring body contributed Rs 426 crore to establish HIMSR, with all finances managed through separate accounts and subjected to rigorous audits by international firms like PricewaterhouseCoopers, alongside statutory reviews that have raised no red flags.

HES further stated that HIMSR's autonomous status under a 2021 Memorandum of Agreement and Board of Management resolution, which grant it independent academic, administrative and financial control, with Jamia Hamdard limited to an affiliating role. Accusing the University of overreach through measures like freezing hospital accounts and spreading unsubstantiated narratives, the society reiterated full adherence to NMC regulations and said it would pursue legal remedies to safeguard the institute's independence amid the dispute.