The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has issued a show-cause notice to Al-Falah University — now under the scanner in connection with the Red Fort blast and the so-called “white-collar terror module” — for allegedly displaying false accreditation details on its website, officials said on Thursday.
In its notice, the NAAC stated that Al-Falah University, “which is neither accredited nor applied for accreditation by NAAC,” had publicly displayed on its website that “Al-Falah University is an endeavour of Al-Falah Charitable Trust, which has been running three colleges on the campus, namely Al Falah School of Engineering and Technology (since 1997, Graded A by NAAC), Brown Hill College of Engineering and Technology (since 2008), and Al-Falah School of Education and Training (since 2006, Graded A by NAAC).”
“This is absolutely wrong and misleading the public, especially the parents, students and stakeholders,” the show-cause notice read.
The NAAC has sought an explanation from the institution and directed it to remove all NAAC accreditation references from its website and other publicly available materials.
The notice comes amid the ongoing investigation into Monday’s high-intensity blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, which killed 13 people and injured several others, just hours after the busting of a “white-collar terror module.” Among those arrested are three doctors linked to Al-Falah University.
Located in the Muslim-dominated Dhauj village of Haryana’s Faridabad, Al-Falah University began as an engineering college in 1997 and was established as a private university in 2014 under the Haryana Private Universities Act, 2006.
According to its official website, the 76-acre campus is run by the Al Falah Charitable Trust, which was founded in 1995.
In 2013, the Al Falah Engineering College received ‘A’ category accreditation from NAAC. The university later expanded into medical education, with the Al Falah School of Medical Sciences & Research Centre starting its first MBBS batch in 2019 — the same year it received approval from the National Medical Commission.
The university offers 200 MBBS seats and 50 MD seats each year. The MBBS course costs Rs 16.37 lakh annually for the first four years and Rs 9 lakh in the final year. Hostel fees for a two-bed occupancy room are Rs 3,10,000 per year.
The campus also includes a small 650-bed hospital where doctors provide free treatment, and it houses advanced facilities such as MRI, CT scans, and special blood investigations.
Its chancellor, Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui, also serves as chairman of the Al Falah Charitable Trust and managing director of Al Falah Investments Limited.
Mohammad Parvez is the current registrar, and Bhupinder Kaur Anand serves as the vice-chancellor.
According to observers, the university initially sought to position itself as an alternative to Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia for minority students seeking quality education.
“Al Falah University offers world-class education to students from India and other countries by providing a learning experience designed to develop intellectual abilities and good social, moral, and ethical values,” the university’s website states.
Investigators are now probing how the private university became a potential hub for highly educated individuals allegedly involved in terror-linked activities.
Dr Muzammil Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Sayeed — both arrested for their alleged roles in the “white-collar terror module” with links to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind — were associated with Al-Falah University.
Dr Umar Nabi, who was driving the Hyundai i20 that exploded near Red Fort on Monday evening, was an assistant professor at the university.
Officials said Maulvi Ishtiyaq, a preacher from Haryana who allegedly helped store explosives in his rented home near the campus, was detained and brought to Srinagar early Wednesday.
“He belongs to Mewat and would conduct religious sermons in the Al Falah campus,” officials added.
From Ishtiyaq’s rented residence, police recovered over 2,500 kg of ammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate, and sulphur, which were allegedly stored by Dr Ganaie and Dr Nabi.
The university, however, has distanced itself from the arrested faculty members, saying it had “only a professional association” with them.
In an official statement, the institution said it was “anguished by the unfortunate developments” and that “as a responsible institution, stands in solidarity with the nation.”