The National Medical Commission has withdrawn permission for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence to start an MBBS course for the 2025-26 academic year. The decision comes amid protests by the BJP and right-wing groups against the admission of Muslim students. Leaders from Jammu and Kashmir have condemned it as the communalisation of education.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) withdrew the Letter of Permission (LoP) for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) to launch a 50-seat MBBS course for the 2025-26 academic year on Tuesday. The institute had already admitted 50 students based on their NEET scores, with most being Kashmiri Muslims.
The revocation follows protests by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and right-wing groups opposing the admission of Muslim students, which had been ongoing for days. An NMC inspection team visited Jammu on January 2, and the decision was made four days later. The LoP was originally issued on September 8, 2025.
Peoples Democratic Party president and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti described the move as exposing the "damaging consequences of the communalisation of education." She warned that if this could happen to a prestigious institution like SMVDIME, it might be replicated elsewhere, endangering the futures of hardworking youth. "Instead of treating the disease, the patient is being punished for no fault," she added.
National Conference senior leader and minister Javed Rana called it unfortunate and unhealthy for a democratic country. "Admissions in educational institutions should not be based on religion or region; it is harmful for a healthy society," he said. Party spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar accused the BJP of a reckless approach, saying the decision was a direct outcome of a flawed communal mindset rather than technical issues.
Former Srinagar mayor Junaid Azeem Mattu labeled it a regressive step to appease communal voices in Jammu, calling it the "murder of inclusivity, equality, and fairness."
BJP legislator R S Pathania welcomed the decision as prioritizing "quality over quantity," noting that affected students would be transferred to supernumerary seats in other colleges in the union territory.
