'We Were Just Starting To Bond': Vaishno Devi Medical Students Heartbroken After Ordered To Vacate For Home

Srinagar: It was heartbreaking and shocking for young medical students as they came to know about the termination of registration for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) in Jammu and Kashmir.

Ashiq Ahmad (name changed), a student hailing from Kashmir was admitted to the college as MBBS student nearly three months ago. But now, he has been told to leave for home as the medical college winds up its operation following The National Medical Commission (NMC) withdrawing permission for the Medical Excellence for "non-compliance" with minimum standards.

“We were sitting inside our room when we got to know about the suspension of our course. We stayed in the hostel today as there were no classes,” he told ETV Bharat. “We were just making a new beginning in our career and we have to face this protest for religion based admission. It is unfortunate and shocking for us. It will stay with us all along.”

He was among over 42 Muslim students from Kashmir admitted in the maiden batch of 50 students in the medical institute based on competitive NEET merit. But Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti, a grouping of 60 social and rightwing organisations that came into being in November 2025, pressed for shifting Kashmiri Muslim students to other medical colleges.

They reasoned that offerings of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board that set up the SMVDIME come from Hindu pilgrims and should be utilised only for Hindus. But the SMVDIME is not listed as a minority institution and gets grant-in aid from the J&K government (over 50 crores in the last two years as per the ruling National Conference), making it infeasible for religion based admission.

But after NMC’s Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) withdrew the Letter of Permission (LoP) granted to the SMVDIME in Jammu’s Reasi for running the MBBS course with 50 seats for the academic year 2025-26, the students were told by the college authorities to vacate their hostels.

“We are leaving for home within the next 2-3 days,” said another student. "Faculty too felt sad by this decision. Our friends from other faiths were also not happy. Everyone wept as we had started to develop a bond now. There was a cordial atmosphere inside our college. But the protests outside vitiated the peace and affected our mental peace.”

The NMC said the decision takes immediate effect as it “follows severe findings about non-compliance with minimum standards during a surprise inspection” and authorised authorities to accommodate these students in other medical institutions within the Union Territory as supernumerary seats in accordance with applicable norms.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said they have decided to accommodate these students for MBBS courses in government medical colleges of Jammu and Kashmir.

“I have directed the health minister they (students) should be adjusted in college near their homes. Those students who won’t get seats in the future would remember Sangarsh Samiti people,” said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

He hit out at the Sangarsh Samiti for 'spoiling' the career of aspiring doctors saying people fight for establishment of medical colleges in other parts of the country, but these people fought to shut down a medical college here.

“You have played with the future of children of Jammu and Kashmir. If you are happy with spoiling the careers of children and if this gives you satisfaction, then go burst firecrackers,” Abdullah added.

Initially, 50 students were admitted in the college but the intake capacity of the SMVIDIE would have increased to 400 in the next few years, the chief minister said.

And there is a possibility 250 students would have been from Jammu and Kashmir. But now they won’t get the seat as you have closed it,” Abdullah added. Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana also said admissions based on religion is detrimental to the healthy society in a democratic country.

“It is very unfortunate that we have done mandir-masjid politics involving big institutions. Where are we taking our society and people?” he added.