LUCKNOW, June 12 -- Following governor Anandiben Patel's directive to all medical, dental colleges and other higher education institutions in the state to establish religious conversion prevention cells (Dharmantaran Roktham Cells), institutions across Uttar Pradesh are gearing up to implement the order on their campuses.

The move has sparked a political debate with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) backing it as necessary to protect students from coercion, while the Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) accuses the government of ignoring more pressing issues in higher education.

The directive follows a series of investigations linked to KGMU over the past two years, in which police registered cases and carried out searches and arrests while p...