SRINAGAR: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has withdrawn the Letter of Permission (LoP) granted to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) in J&K’s Reasi district to start an MBBS course, citing serious lapses, amid a growing controversy over student admissions.
The decision comes after the row over the admission of Muslim students escalated, with the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti (SMVDSS) and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah calling for closure of the medical college. All 50 students will be shifted to other recognised medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir.
A team of NMC officials recently conducted an inspection of the institute and reportedly found deficiencies in faculty strength, clinical material and infrastructure at the medical college.
The NMC has directed that students admitted by SMVDIME for the academic year 2025–26 shall be accommodated as supernumerary seats in other government medical colleges within the J&K Union Territory by the competent authority.
BJP MLA R S Pathania, in a post on X, said, “Quality over quantity: NMC has revoked permission for 50 MBBS seats at SMVDIME due to a failure to meet essential standards. It reaffirms commitment to quality. Every affected student will be seamlessly transferred to a supernumerary seat in other UT colleges.”
The SMVDIME in J&K’s Reasi district was sanctioned 50 MBBS seats for the 2025–26 academic session. Selection for admission to the institute was done through NEET, and out of the 50 students admitted, 42 were Muslims and one was a Sikh. This triggered a row, with Hindu groups including the BJP, opposing the selection of Muslim students.
About 60 groups formed the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti (SMVDSS) to spearhead the agitation, initially seeking cancellation of the admission of Muslim students and later demanding closure of the medical college.
The SMVDSS, BJP and other Hindu groups opposed the admission of Muslims in the medical college, saying the Vaishno medical college is being run on offerings from Hindus and only Hindu students should be admitted to the medical institute.
“Only those who have faith in Vaishno Devi should get admission there. The devotees who contribute to the shrine for promoting Sanatan culture and religion should only get admission,” J&K BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma had said while opposing the admission of Muslim students.
The BJP had also submitted a memorandum to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha seeking the cancellation of the admission of Muslim students.
After a protest by the youth wing of the Sangarsh Samiti in Jammu on Tuesday, the Samiti’s convenor, Colonel (Retd) Sukhvir Mankotia, demanded closure of the college.
“The medical college would remain a source of problem forever and closing the institution is a better option and best solution,” he said.
He had also said that they were hopeful that the NMC would recommend closure of the medical college.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had defended the admission of Muslim students in the college, saying the admissions were based purely on merit. He had also asked the BJP and other agitating Hindu groups to get the medical college declared a “minority institute” if they wanted cancellation of the admission of non Hindu students.
The ruling National Conference had also defended the admission of non Muslim students in the college, saying the J&K government is providing crores of rupees as grant in aid to Vaishno Devi University.
Rs 24 crore was provided as a grant-in-aid to Vaishno Devi University in 2024 and Rs 28 crore as a grant-in-aid in 2025.
After calls by the Sangarsh Samiti to close the medical college, Omar Abdullah also on Tuesday demanded that the medical college be shut due to the highly politicised atmosphere and that students admitted to the college be adjusted in other medical colleges.
“Close that medical college. It is not even worth opening. Shift the students to some other medical college,” Omar said.