Srinagar, Jan 8 — The National Medical Commission (NMC) has withdrawn the Letter of Permission granted to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board-run medical college in Katra, a move that comes weeks after sustained protests in Jammu over admissions to the institution and sharp political reactions to its closure.
The controversy began in November after most of the students admitted to the college’s first MBBS batch were from Kashmir, triggering protests by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti, which alleged irregularities in admissions and demanded cancellation of the programme.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he had directed the Health Minister to ensure that the affected students are allotted the nearest available medical colleges.
Criticising the agitation that preceded the cancellation, he said, “People usually struggle to get a medical college, but here a fight was waged to shut one down. This is a joke with the future of students.”
He added that while most students in the current batch were from Kashmir, the institution could have expanded over time. “These 50 seats could have become 400. Students from Jammu would have benefited in the long run,” Omar said.
The decision to withdraw permission was taken by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) of the NMC, which cited serious deficiencies in faculty strength, clinical material and infrastructure at the institution.
According to an official communication issued to the college authorities, the MARB found “gross irregularities” during an inspection conducted on January 2, following complaints about inadequate facilities. “The institution does not meet the minimum standards required for continuation of the MBBS programme,” the regulator said.
The inspection recorded a 39 per cent shortfall in teaching faculty and a 65 per cent deficiency in tutors and senior residents. Out-patient attendance stood at 182 against the required 400, while bed occupancy was 45 per cent, below the mandated 80 per cent. Intensive care unit occupancy averaged 50 per cent, and the number of monthly deliveries was described as “grossly inadequate”. Inspectors also noted the absence of separate male and female wards.
Following the withdrawal of permission, the MARB directed the Jammu and Kashmir government to accommodate all 50 admitted students in other medical colleges in the region as supernumerary seats.
Sukhvir Mankotia, convener of the Sangharsh Samiti, welcomed the move, saying students would now be shifted to better-equipped institutions. “They should be relieved that they will move to medical colleges that meet required standards,” he said.
The decision has triggered sharp political reactions, particularly in the Valley.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti termed celebrations in parts of Jammu over the closure as the “height of bigotry”, comparing them to reactions following the revocation of Article 370 in 2019.
“Just like Ladakh in 2019, Jammu too is cutting its nose to spite its face — our collective face and future,” she said in a post.
National Conference leaders said communal divisions in educational institutions posed a serious threat to democratic values. J&K minister Javed Ahmad Rana described the episode as “unhealthy for a democratic society”.
“If admissions are discussed on the basis of religion, it is a big loss for society,” Rana said.
PDP youth president Aditya Gupta called the withdrawal of 50 MBBS seats a “ruthless setback for Jammu”, alleging political polarisation had harmed the region’s future.
Awami Ittehad Party spokesperson Inam Un Nabi alleged the cancellation was politically motivated. “Why was permission granted in the first place if it was to be withdrawn after admissions?” he asked.
Former Srinagar mayor Junaid Mattu said the decision would be remembered as “a political move dressed up as a regulatory measure”.