Vaishno Devi medical college seeks NMC nod to restart MBBS course

Katra: After its MBBS programme was discontinued earlier, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Katra (Vaishno Devi Medical College) has once again applied to the National Medical Commission (NMC) seeking permission to restart the course with 50 seats for the 2026-27 academic year.

According to NDTV media report, the institute has submitted a fresh online application to the NMC requesting a Letter of Permission (LoP) after claiming that it has addressed the deficiencies earlier pointed out by the regulator.

Previously, the apex regulatory body withdrew the Letter of Permission granted to the institute after a surprise inspection found several deficiencies related to infrastructure, faculty strength, and availability of clinical material.

"We have submitted an online application to the commission seeking a Letter of Permission for 50 MBBS seats after completing the required formalities, including the payment of around Rs 8 lakh towards NMC inspection and processing fees," official sources told NDTV.

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Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that controversy erupted across Jammu following admission of 42 Muslim students out of a total of 50 students in the first batch to the medical college. Dozens of protesters gathered earlier outside Lok Bhavan and set ablaze an effigy of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, demanding revocation of the MBBS admission list.

The protests were started by groups, which later led to the formation of the Sangarsh Samiti, and its leaders held talks with Lt Governor and leaders of the central government, including Union Health Minister.

Tensions further rose over the MBBS admissions with protestors planning to step up agitation. At a core committee meeting in Srinagar, Samiti leaders, along with representatives of the Shri Sanatan Dharam Sabha, alleged that the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board acted unfairly and deviated from its mandate. They accused the Board of misusing shrine funds over the past two decades for infrastructure projects such as hospitals and universities instead of promoting Sanatan Dharma–related activities.

Earlier, BJP Udhampur MLA has supported the protests, backed by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. They had reasoned that since Vaishno Devi Medical College is an institute set up with the donations offered to the Vaishno Devi shrine, 'it should not be dominated by the members of the Muslim community'. They had also demanded reservations of the seats at the medical college for Hindus. However, since Vaishnodevi Medical College is not classified as a minority institution, it is not possible to reserve these seats for Hindus under the current rules.

Amid all this, 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 alleged that the decision was fuelled by local political pressure rather than academic deficiencies.

The order issued by the MARB 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.

Accordingly, the students were shifted to seven newly established medical colleges, three in the Kashmir Valley, which took in 22 students, and four in the Jammu region where the remaining students were accommodated.

While NMC cited inadequate infrastructure as the reason for withdrawing permission, faculty members at the institute told PTI on the condition of anonymity that the institute is one of the best in the Union Territory. They further added that 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".

However, the officials from the institute now claim that the shortcomings have been addressed and the college is preparing for a fresh inspection by the NMC, which is expected to take place between April and May.

At present, the college has a main academic building ready for classes and is planning to further expand its infrastructure and faculty strength.

As part of its expansion, the institute is also expected to integrate the management of Narayana Superspecialty Hospital located at Kakryal near Katra.

NDTV Sources said the process to take over the hospital's management has begun, and all staff, including doctors, are likely to come under the institute from April 1, significantly boosting the availability of clinical material and teaching staff.

The hospital itself was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2016 and currently provides treatment across more than 20 medical specialities.

With the fresh application submitted to the NMC, the institute is now hoping to secure permission and restart its MBBS programme from the next academic year.

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