A storm is brewing over Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak and at the heart of it are more than 1.5 lakh students whose academic futures now hang in the balance. On December 3, a delegation from Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), led by former deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, met with Ashim Kumar Ghosh, the Governor of Haryana, demanding a high-level inquiry into MDU’s alleged misuse of its accreditation status. 

According to the delegation, MDU continued to admit students and issue degrees under the pretense that it held an “A+” accreditation from NAAC even after that accreditation expired in March 2024. Chautala argued that this was both unconstitutional and irresponsible. Students from two batches have already been handed degrees and mark sheets that carry the A+ label, casting serious doubts on the legitimacy of their credentials. 

What makes the situation more alarming, according to JJP, is that the university’s Vice-Chancellor who heads the NAAC committee allegedly avoided the renewal process deliberately, fearing the institution’s rating might drop. This possible act of negligence (or worse, deliberate concealment) has prompted calls for accountability. The government and university’s next steps will determine whether these students' careers remain secure or whether they end up fighting for their degrees in courts.

“The future of over 1.5 lakh youth is under a question mark today,” Chautala warned during the submission of a memorandum to the Governor. JJP, along with its student wing INSO, has threatened legal action including a possible plea to the High Court if the government fails to act swiftly. 

As things stand, students many of them at the threshold of a career are stuck in limbo. Parents, too, are worried. If the accreditation issue isn’t resolved soon, it could create a ripple effect: undermining trust in MDU, affecting job and higher-education prospects, and raising uncomfortable questions about institutional accountability. The coming weeks may therefore be crucial. MDU’s response whether a transparent inquiry or denial will shape the fate of thousands of students who were promised a bright academic future based on that “A+” badge.