Katra/Jammu: The National Medical Commission’s ‘abrupt’ decision to withdraw its letter of permission to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Katra, just months after the inaugural session of the college commenced, has left the faculty staring at an uncertain future.
While the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) of the National Medical Commission (NMC) cited a failure to meet “minimum standards” following a surprise inspection on January 02, faculty and students allege that the decision was fuelled by local political pressure rather than academic deficiencies.
The withdrawal follows weeks of protests by the Sangharsh Samiti, a conglomerate of right-wing organisations backed by the BJP, demanding cancellation of the current batch’s admissions to 42 Muslim students from Kashmir, seven Hindus and one Sikh candidate.
All of them qualified through the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).
The conglomerate was lobbying for the college to scrap the current merit-based list and reserve all seats exclusively for Hindu students.
Despite the NMC’s claims of non-compliance, faculty members, speaking on the condition of anonymity, defended the institution as one of the best in the Union territory.
“We got the permission after a lot of hard work and investment. We have the best infrastructure and faculty, and whatever is required to run a medical college was in place,” a senior faculty member said, questioning the decision of the MARB.
The order issued by the MARB on Tuesday evening said that all students admitted to the college during the counselling for the 2025-26 academic year shall be accommodated in other medical institutions in Jammu and Kashmir as supernumerary seats by the competent authority of the UT administration.
There has been no official communication from the medical college so far.
The faculty members said the NMC findings can be contested point-by-point and “everyone knows what led to the inspection and the subsequent decision, especially in view of the unrest created in the Jammu region”.
Highlighting the human cost of the decision, another faculty member said that around 150 people left their jobs in government and private sectors and joined the institution, who are now left concerned for their future.
The faculty members also questioned the “unusual haste” of the NMC’s decision, arguing that standard administrative protocols were bypassed as the institute should have been served a show-cause notice first, allowing for a formal response and a window for rectification.
“The established procedure involves a reply to a show-cause notice,” a faculty member said, adding, “If the response is deemed unsatisfactory, the matter is typically escalated to the Union health ministry for a final hearing before such a drastic measure as derecognition is taken.”
The faculty member said that being one of the best institutes, which was in a developmental phase, the NMC’s move came as a setback for the medical college.
“We know that the NMC order does not mean that the institute will be closed forever. We are hopeful that the Shrine Board will work out the next course of action and safeguard the staff and the future of the institution,” he said.
Referring to the option of reapplying for the letter of permission, the faculty member said it may not resolve the issue.
“We can apply afresh in response to the notification at any time, but it may not be helpful because the situation could be the same. What is needed is to avert this situation altogether and ensure long-term measures so that the institute runs smoothly,” the faculty member said.
Outlining the possible alternatives, he said, “We have two options. One, the chief minister issues a no-objection certificate so that admissions are done through Central counselling, allowing students from across the country to join purely on merit, like in the Sharda University in Uttar Pradesh.”
The second option, he said, is to seek deemed university status.
“We are already running three of the five required faculties – medicine, nursing and social sciences (Gurukul). We need two more, such as allied health sciences and public health specialisation. This can be done under the leadership of the Shrine Board chairman and may take about a year,” he said.
“The college has the potential to be one of the best medical colleges in the country, given its infrastructure and facilities. I have visited many medical colleges in India and abroad, but this one had better infrastructure and faculty compared to the other colleges in J&K,” another faculty member said.
Students also expressed distress over the withdrawal of permission, describing the decision as “heartbreaking”.
“We secured admission through a competitive exam, and the NMC’s decision has come as a shock because we did not expect such a development at the beginning of our course,” Bilquis, a student from Budgam, said.
She added that they faced no problems or discrimination based on religion on the campus.
Mahit Srivastava, a student from Udhampur, termed the decision “very unfortunate” and said “it (the protests) served as an example of “axing one’s own feet”.
“I was confident that the college would earn a strong reputation in the coming years. Suspending the course is a big mistake and a major loss for us as well as our region. We have no idea where we will be shifted. We are confused and do not know anything,” he said.
Another student said they got admission solely based on merit.
“The facilities were outstanding, which nobody can question. We did not face any trouble inside the campus despite the protests outside by right-wing groups. We were living in harmony. This decision has left us heartbroken,” the student said.
Meanwhile, CM Abdullah on Thursday said the government will accommodate students affected by the closure of a medical college by adjusting them in other institutions through supernumerary seats, asserting that their education will not be allowed to suffer.
The chief minister also said that accountability must be fixed if standards were not maintained at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College.
Supernumerary seats are additional seats created over and above the intake approved by an authority.
“The Health Minister is standing here with me. Yesterday, she was with me in Samba. We have discussed this issue thoroughly and, as I said yesterday in Samba after the issuance of the order, these students have passed the NEET examination in a lawful manner. They have merit,” Abdullah told reporters here.
“It is our legal responsibility to accommodate them. We will adjust them by creating supernumerary seats in colleges close to their homes so that their education does not suffer,” he said.
He said adjusting the students was not a difficult task. “We will do it,” he added.
However, the chief minister said that the government must also reflect on the injustice done to students’ futures in the long run by shutting down the medical college.
“Today, out of 50 seats, 40 were taken by Muslim students and objections were raised. But if, over time, the number of seats in this college had gradually increased to 400–500, it is possible that 250–300 students in the future would have been from Jammu. Where will those students go now?” he asked.
Taking a dig at the BJP and others in Jammu, Abdullah said aspirants across the country struggle to secure medical college seats.
“We are perhaps the only place where we received a fully built medical college and yet got it shut down due to protests,” he said.
Responding to questions on inspections by the National Medical Commission (NMC) at other colleges, the chief minister asked who conducted the inspections and how the college was cleared.
“You should question the university and its office-bearers from top to bottom—why, after building a medical college, did it fail to pass inspection?” he said.
On the National Medical Commission’s assertion that norms were not fulfilled, Abdullah said the matter was even more unfortunate. “Who heads this university and who is its Chancellor? They should also be questioned. Instead of questioning me alone, ask them as well,” he said in a veiled reference to the Lt. Governor.
He reiterated that accountability must be fixed if standards are not maintained. “If today the BJP is happy that the university failed to maintain standards, then who is responsible and what action will be taken? We will adjust these 50 students, but someone must answer for the damage done to students’ futures,” he said.
On whether the government intended to take back financial aid given to the institution, Abdullah said, “The aid was given to the university. We are not the kind of people who give money and then take it back.”
Commenting on unemployment and criticism that he speaks too much, the chief minister said he had never shied away from any issue.
“Tell me which issue I have remained silent on. There is none. If anyone wants further answers, the Assembly session is coming up. Members can raise questions there, and we will respond,” he said.
