Gujarat transfers 188 Ayurveda students after Mahisagar college shut since Sept 2025
Synopsis
Gujarat's Dhanvantari Ayurveda College in Mahisagar has been shut since September 2025 — and 188 students have been left in limbo. The state government has now secured NCISM-approved supernumerary seats at other colleges, locked in the same fee structure, and launched affiliation cancellation proceedings. It is a rare, structured state-level rescue of a stranded student cohort.
Key Takeaways
188 students from Dhanvantari Ayurveda College and Hospital , Mahisagar, are being transferred to other self-financed Ayurveda colleges across Gujarat .
The college has been completely closed since September 2025 , confirmed by a government-appointed three-member inspection committee .
A proposal has been submitted to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel for formal approval of the transfers.
The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and Ministry of AYUSH have approved supernumerary seats to accommodate all affected students.
Transferred students will pay the same fees as at Dhanvantari College; seat allotment will be based on NEET rank or merit position.
Administrative proceedings to cancel the college's affiliation have been initiated under the Gujarat Ayurved University Act, 2021 .
The Gujarat government has initiated the transfer of 188 students from Dhanvantari Ayurveda College and Hospital in Mahisagar district to other self-financed Ayurveda colleges across the state, after the institution was found to have remained completely shut since September 2025. State Health Minister Praful Pansheriya announced the move on 19 June, stating that the government's overriding priority was to ensure no student loses an academic year.
What Triggered the Transfer
Multiple complaints and representations from students prompted the state government to constitute a three-member inspection committee to investigate conditions at the college, located in Koydam village of Mahisagar district. The committee confirmed that the institution had been entirely non-functional since September 2025 and recommended relocation of all enrolled students in their broader academic interest.
Following the committee's findings, a formal proposal has been submitted to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel seeking approval to transfer the students to recognised self-financed Ayurveda colleges under the supervision of the Health Department.
How the Transfer Will Work
The transfer process will be coordinated by Gujarat Ayurved University in Jamnagar, in consultation with the Office of the Director of AYUSH and the Admission Committee for Professional Medical Educational Courses (ACPMEC). Seats will be allotted strictly on the basis of each student's merit position or All India NEET rank for the relevant academic year.
Critically, transferred students will continue to pay the same fee structure that was applicable at Dhanvantari Ayurveda College. Receiving institutions will be bound to complete the students' education under that same fee structure, and a mutual-consent undertaking will be obtained from both the student and the receiving college before any transfer is finalised.
NCISM and AYUSH Approvals Secured
The Gujarat government's representations to the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the Ministry of AYUSH have resulted in approval for supernumerary seats in various self-financed Ayurveda colleges. These additional seats have been specifically created to accommodate the 188 affected students until they complete their respective courses.
Attendance shortfalls and internship gaps — particularly for students who have cleared the fourth year — will be resolved by Gujarat Ayurved University to prevent any long-term damage to students' academic records, Pansheriya said.
Affiliation Cancellation Proceedings Initiated
Beyond the student transfers, the government has announced that administrative proceedings will be launched to cancel the affiliation of Dhanvantari Ayurveda College on grounds of alleged regulatory violations. The process will be carried out by Gujarat Ayurved University within the legal framework of the Gujarat Ayurved University Act, 2021, and the Regulations, 2024.
The minister also clarified that students who have been debarred or whose admissions are liable to be cancelled will not be included in the transfer process under any circumstances. With supernumerary seats now approved and a clear regulatory framework in place, the formal transfer of all eligible students is expected to proceed in the coming weeks.
Point of View
Yet a formal rescue plan emerged only after student complaints forced an inspection in mid-2026 — a lag of nearly nine months. The NCISM's willingness to approve supernumerary seats is a pragmatic fix, but it sidesteps the harder question of how the college was allowed to enrol students while allegedly violating affiliation norms in the first place. Affiliation cancellation proceedings, while welcome, will mean little if the underlying accreditation oversight framework is not tightened.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Dhanvantari Ayurveda College in Mahisagar being shut down?
The college has been completely closed since September 2025, according to a three-member inspection committee appointed by the Gujarat government. The government has now initiated proceedings to cancel its affiliation due to alleged violations of regulations.
What will happen to the 188 students affected by the college closure?
The Gujarat government is transferring all 188 eligible students to recognised self-financed Ayurveda colleges across the state. Supernumerary seats have been approved by the NCISM and the Ministry of AYUSH specifically to accommodate these students until they complete their courses.
Will students have to pay higher fees after the transfer?
No. The government has stipulated that transferred students will continue to pay the same fee structure that was applicable at Dhanvantari Ayurveda College, and receiving institutions are bound to honour that structure.
Who will manage the transfer process?
Gujarat Ayurved University in Jamnagar will coordinate the transfers in consultation with the Office of the Director of AYUSH and the Admission Committee for Professional Medical Educational Courses (ACPMEC). Seat allotment will be based on NEET rank or merit position.
What about attendance shortfalls and incomplete internships?
Gujarat Ayurved University will decide on attendance and internship gaps — particularly for fourth-year students — on a case-by-case basis to ensure that no student's academic career is adversely affected by the prolonged closure.
