NMC Revokes Approval for SMVD Medical College After Surprise Inspection
Srinagar: In a significant development with far-reaching academic and policy implications, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has withdrawn the Letter of Permission (LoP) granted earlier to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute for Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) to launch the MBBS program with an intake of 50 students for the 2025-26 academic session. The decision follows a surprise review by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB), which reportedly revealed serious deficiencies in faculty strength, clinical materials and basic infrastructure at the newly established institution.
According to official sources, MARB issued the withdrawal order late on Tuesday evening after inspectors found that the institute was missing several mandatory components required under NMC’s 2023 regulations. These shortcomings included insufficient overall number of beds, insufficient patient load, and lack of key departments such as pathology, pharmacology, and microbiology, which are critical for second-year MBBS education. The findings led the Commission to conclude that the university was not in a position to meet the minimum standards required for medical education.
Following the cancellation of the LoP, the NMC directed that all students admitted to SMVDIME during the 2025-26 counseling process be shifted to various Government Medical Colleges in Jammu and Kashmir. These students will be given extra seats to ensure their academic careers are not affected. As part of the regulatory action, the institute’s bank guarantee is also planned to be cancelled.
The withdrawal of permission is expected to impact the ongoing agitation led by the SMVD Sangharsh Samiti, a coalition of social organizations protesting the admission of non-Hindu students to the Temple Board-run medical college. The controversy began after the first batch of 50 MBBS students, comprising 42 Muslim candidates, mostly from the Kashmir Valley, seven Hindu students from Jammu and one Sikh candidate, were admitted through the NEET merit list. The demographics have triggered protests from groups who argue that an institution funded by donations from Hindu devotees should reflect what they call “religious sentiment.”
Political parties and organizations soon joined the discussion. Some groups have called for the admissions to be cancelled, the Temple Board and University Acts to be amended to allow preferences based on religion, and the institute to be given minority status under Article 30 of the Constitution. A delegation led by senior BJP leaders submitted a memorandum to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha demanding these changes and framing the issue around “welfare of devotees” and “religious balance”. Some organizations have also expressed concerns about the religious makeup of faculty members, claiming disproportionate representation.
These demands have drawn harsh criticism from many political leaders, who argue that such proposals are discriminatory and against constitutional principles. They emphasized that the current Law mandates merit-based admissions without religious considerations and warned against the inclusion of religion in medical education, drawing attention to the consequences such a logic could have in terms of patient care.
Amid growing controversy, the NMC’s surprise review last week added a new dimension to the debate. While some local groups welcomed the inspections, they continued their protests. The regulatory findings ultimately formed the basis for the Commission’s decision to revoke the LoP, shifting the focus from political debates to academic and infrastructural compliance.
The issue has also sparked broader debates about secularism, meritocracy, and the role of religious institutions in vocational training. Political observers point out that the developments may affect regional political dynamics. Meanwhile, the academic future of the 50 accepted students continues in the process of moving to well-known medical schools.
NMC had earlier rejected the Temple Board’s proposal to shift all seats to All India Quota, citing policy constraints. With the LoP now withdrawn, the future of the institute will depend on its ability to address deficiencies identified by the Commission and comply with regulatory standards before receiving new approval.
During the agitation, Vishva Hindu Parishad emerged as one of the prominent voices and described the controversy as “selective secularism” and “reverse discrimination”. The organization called for a broader policy overhaul, including revocation of admissions and a review of the institute’s minority status and faculty appointments.
These positions have been strongly criticized across the political spectrum. Prime Minister Omar Abdullah reiterated that current law mandates merit-based admissions and questioned whether religion-based logic should also be applied to patient care in hospitals run by the Temple Board. While PDP leader Iltija Mufti termed the protests as “anti-Muslim apartheid”, People’s Conference president Sajad Gani Lone accused the BJP of collectivizing medical education and damaging its integrity.
