Omar Abdullah Condemns NMC Decision To Revoke Shri Mata Vaishno Devi MBBS Program
Calling it an injustice to students, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that the cancellation of recognition of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College has unfairly impacted meritorious students who had secured admission through the NEET examination.
Omar Abdullah said that the students had qualified for NEET on merit and should not be made to suffer for reasons beyond their control. He said it was now the responsibility of the government to ensure that their academic future remains protected.
“The students have passed NEET on merit. It is our responsibility to accommodate them, and we will do so by placing them in a medical college close to their homes so that they are not affected,” he said.
The Chief Minister stressed that the larger issue was the injustice caused by the closure of a functioning medical college. He said that across the country, students struggle for years to secure admission in medical colleges, making the decision to shut down an operational institution deeply troubling.
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“Ours is perhaps the only place where a fully functional medical college has been closed,” Omar Abdullah said, adding that such a move sends a discouraging signal at a time when the country needs more doctors and a stronger healthcare infrastructure.
#WATCH | Jammu | After the National Medical Commission cancels recognition of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College in Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah says, “…The students have passed the NEET exam and have merit. It is now our responsibility to… pic.twitter.com/ScuJNFIRrZ
— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2026
He said the government would take all necessary steps to safeguard the interests of the students.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) on Tuesday revoked permission for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, located in the Reasi district, to run its undergraduate MBBS program for the 2025–26 academic year.
The move came after protests erupted following the release of the college’s inaugural admission list, which included 44 Muslim students from Kashmir and six Hindu students from Jammu.
While the commission has officially attributed the decision to “technical” and infrastructural shortcomings, the timing has raised concerns among rights advocates and education observers, who point to sustained pressure from Hindu opposing the selection of Muslim candidates.
The protests were led by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti and drew participation from activists linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, its ideological parent the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, as well as groups such as Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal.
