Katra/Jammu, Jan. 8 -- The National Medical Commission's 'abrupt' decision to withdraw its letter of permission to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) in Jammu and Kashmir's Katra, just months after the inaugural session of the college commenced, has left the students and 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 2, 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 the 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.
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.
Mahit Srivastava, a student from Udhampur, termed the decision "very unfortunate" and said: "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."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.