DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government has decided to conduct verification of students from other states to remove those involved in “criminal or anti-national activity”. The announcement comes close on the heels of at least 10 Kashmiri students being suspended from various colleges for posting what the authorities claimed were “anti-national remarks” on social media. Over 200 Kashmiri students have also fled the city after right-wing groups protested against their continuing in city colleges.Talking to TOI on Wednesday, higher education minister Dhan Singh Rawat said that the decision to conduct verification drive of students was not meant to target pupils from a particular community.“The verification drive is not meant only for students of Jammu & Kashmir but for students from all states coming to Uttarakhand for education. Under this drive, police officers in each district will check the credentials of students to see whether they have been involved in any criminal or anti-national activity. We will not allow any student with such a background in our state,” Rawat said.The minister added that meritorious students from any state would not be denied education here. “Uttarakhand is Devbhoomi. The aim is to inculcate good education, manners and religious values in students,” he said.A meeting of vice-chancellors of various universities and directors of government institutes would be held to discuss the verification drive after the end of assembly session on February 22, Rawat said.

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