Jaipur: Seventeen Kashmiri students pursuing B.Sc Nursing at Mewar University in Rajasthan's Chittorgarh district were arrested on Monday after staging a protest over the alleged non-recognition of their course, officials said.

The students held a demonstration on the university campus, raising slogans and demanding recognition of their degree programme from the Rajasthan Nursing Council (RNC) and the Indian Nursing Council (INC).

During the protest, one of the students allegedly attempted self-immolation by pouring petrol on himself. Police intervened and stopped the attempt while he was trying to pour petrol from a plastic bottle, officials said.

The protesting students were later detained and taken to a local police station for further legal action.

Gangrar Station House Officer Shyam Gurjar said the students had allegedly attempted suicide by sprinkling petrol during the protest.

The students claimed that they had enrolled in the programme after advertisements by the university stating that the B.Sc Nursing course had the required recognition.

However, they alleged that they later discovered the course did not have approval from the relevant regulatory bodies, prompting the protest demanding recognition and clarity on the validity of their degrees.