Srinagar: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has revoked the Letter of Permission (LoP) allowing the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) in Reasi district to run an MBBS course with 50 seats for the 2025–26 academic year. This follows months of growing controversy after the first batch revealed a majority of seats allotted to Muslim students.
The regulator cited “gross deficiencies” in the college’s infrastructure as primary reasons for the action, including inadequate facilities, a shortage of qualified teaching staff, insufficient clinical material and a lack of resident doctors — key requirements for running a medical course.
The commission’s decision effectively halts the MBBS programme. Authorities have stated that students already admitted will be transferred to other recognised medical colleges in the Union Territory so their education is not disrupted, reported Hindustan Times.
The dispute dates back to November 2025, when the MBBS admission list for SMVDIME’s inaugural batch showed that 42 out of 50 seats were filled by Muslim students, with one Sikh and the remaining seats allotted to other candidates, based on NEET scores.
The result triggered protests from several right-wing and Hindu groups in Jammu, including the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (RBD) and the umbrella Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti, who challenged the seat distribution and demanded reservation for Hindu students.
Protesters argued the college — established with donations linked to the Vaishno Devi shrine — should primarily benefit Hindu students. The groups also questioned the admission process and pushed for the institute to be granted “minority status” or for the list to be revised to include more Hindus. Officials, including Jammu & Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, noted that admissions were made strictly according to NEET merit and eligibility criteria, without religion-based preferences.
Protesters staged demonstrations across parts of the Jammu region, calling for cancellation of the admission list and later for the closure of the institution itself.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed the NMC’s withdrawal of approval, framing it as a reaffirmation of quality standards in medical education.
The NMC’s final decision, while citing regulatory violations, came amid this prolonged row and intense public debate.
With the MBBS approval revoked, all existing students will be relocated to other medical colleges recognised by the NMC. Authorities have pledged that their seats will be protected as supernumerary placements so academic progress is not lost.
