The National Medical Commission (NMC) has officially revoked the recognition of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical Institute (SMVDMI) in Jammu and Kashmir. This decision comes in the wake of intense demonstrations by right-wing Hindu groups who were protesting the high number of Muslim students admitted into the college’s inaugural batch.
The protests began in November 2025 after it was revealed that 42 of the 50 students (84%) who secured admission through the merit-based National Entrance Examination Test (NEET) were Muslims. Demonstrators argued that because the institution is funded by a Hindu religious trust—specifically donations from the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine—Muslim students should not be permitted to benefit from its resources.
Okay News learnt that while the NMC cited “infrastructure deficiencies” and a lack of adequate faculty as the official reasons for the closure on January 6, 2026, students and political analysts have questioned the timing of the move. Many students noted that the facilities were superior to those found in established government colleges, leading to allegations that the regulatory body capitulated to the religious demands of the protesters.
The regional government has stepped in to mitigate the fallout for the affected students. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced that all 50 students, regardless of their religious background, would be accommodated in other medical institutions across the region to ensure their hard-earned merit is not wasted due to the closure of the college.
The closure has sparked a broader debate regarding the “communalization” of education in India. Advocates for the students point out that merit-based exams like NEET are designed to be religion-neutral. The incident has left many young scholars, like 18-year-old Saniya Jan, fearing for their academic futures as their achievements became a focal point for religious and political tension.
