A year since Delhi blast, Al-Falah university at centre of terror plot fills all 200 MBBS seats

Gurgaon: A year after the blast near Red Fort metro station claimed 15 lives and revealed a terrorist module being run by a group of doctors at Faridabad’s Al-Falah University, its medical college has seen a reversal in fortunes. Now being run by a govt administrator, with the founder in prison, the college has filled all its 200 MBBS seats in the latest admission cycle, emerging from uncertainty about its future after intense scrutiny of its staff as well as students by investigating agencies.Academic activities have returned to normal at Al-Falah, with its affairs now directly under state govt’s watch following its takeover in March 2026. MBBS seats in the state are allotted through centralised counselling by Pt Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences in Rohtak.IAS officer Amit Kumar Aggrawal was appointed administrator on March 21 this year. A team from JC Bose University of Science and Technology in Faridabad also took key posts. Ajay Ranga, registrar at JC Bose University, was given additional charge as Al-Falah’s vice-chancellor. Rajeev Kumar Singh, controller of examinations at JC Bose, was assigned the same role at Al-Falah, while Ravi Kumar Sharma was appointed chief finance and accounts officer and Meha Sharma was appointed registrar.Al-Falah founder-chairperson Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui was arrested in two separate cases of money laundering.An official credited the university’s turnaround to several measures taken after an inquiry found multiple statutory violations and irregularities in the functioning of the university. “The university now has around 80% of its faculty positions through advertisements in newspapers. Faculty members were earlier paid different salaries. The university now has introduced a uniform and improved salary structure, which has helped attract good professors,” said an official who is part of the govt-appointed administrative setup.“Before the incident, the university had faculty members who were associated with private clinics but were also registered as professors here but not actually teaching. They were paid for their association with Al-Falah. All such bogus faculty members have been removed. There is strict biometric attendance system now in place,” the official added. In the previous admission cycle, the university had filled 196 of its 200 seats.Al-Falah became the focus of an investigation by National Investigation Agency (NIA) after Dr Umer Un Nabi, who allegedly drove the i20 that blew up near Red Fort last Nov, was found to have worked there as an assistant professor. The agency’s chargesheet also alleged that Umer, his colleague Dr Muzammil Shakeel Ganaie and Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather tested explosives and firearms in villages in the vicinity, while Dr Shaheen Shahid helped finance weapons. According to NIA, the explosives were tested near a campus tubewell before trials shifted to fields and the Aravalis.Although the university denied any involvement of the institution as a whole, the investigation led to concerns among students that the college would shut down.The new administration also ordered fresh police checks of all students, employees and stakeholders, including those with incomplete records. “Everyone was scrutinised, every employee, every student and every stakeholder. We have re-verified everyone associated with the university. For those whose police verification reports were not available in our records, we have submitted their details again,” an official said.The official said no foreign student is currently enrolled at Al-Falah. A few from Dubai and Nepal had studied there earlier. “Yes, Al-Falah was at the centre of a terror investigation after the blast last year. But whatever inquiry is being conducted is being handled by respective agencies. The administration has no role in the probe,” the official said.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Gurgaon | Silver Rate in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon | Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Petrol Price in Gurgaon | Diesel Price in Gurgaon | CNG Price in Gurgaon | LPG Price in GurgaonStay updated with the latest Gurgaon news. Download the TOI App.