What prompted NMC to withdraw permission for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College; What it means for enrolled students

REASI: The National Medical Commission’s Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) has withdrawn the Letter of Permission (LoP) granted to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, Kakryal, Reasi (J&K), for running the MBBS course with 50 seats for the academic year 2025-26. The decision, dated January 6, 2026, takes immediate effect and follows serious findings about non-compliance with minimum standards during a surprise inspection, NMC officials stated. Notably, the regulatory action comes amid an ongoing political controversy over the college’s first admission list. Out of the 50 students admitted, 42 were Muslims, and one was a Sikh, triggering protests by several Hindu groups and local trade organisations in J&K, who argued that since the college is run by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, it should primarily cater to Hindu students.

The college applied under NMC’s public notices dated December 5, 2024 and December 19, 2024, to establish a new medical college with an intake of 50 MBBS seats for AY 2025-26. After processing the application, MARB granted a Letter of Permission on September 8, 2025, to start the MBBS course. The LoP was subject to several conditions, including maintaining essential standards, allowing surprise inspections, providing accurate information, and rectifying deficiencies before renewal. MARB also reserved the right to withdraw or cancel permission in the event of misrepresentation, non-compliance, or failure to meet regulatory requirements.

After the issuance of the LoP, the Commission received multiple complaints alleging inadequate infrastructure, clinical materials, qualified full-time teaching faculty, and resident doctors at the college. The complaints also pointed to inadequate inpatient and outpatient caseloads and poor bed-occupancy statistics, among other issues. Acting under Section 28(7) of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, which empowers MARB to conduct surprise evaluations of medical institutions without prior notice, a team of assessors carried out an inspection at the college on January 2, 2026. This inspection formed the basis of the subsequent adverse findings.

The assessment report highlighted extensive deficiencies in faculty strength, clinical material, and infrastructure at the institute. These included a 39 per cent deficiency in teaching faculty and a 65 per cent deficiency in tutors, demonstrators and senior residents against the prescribed requirement. Patient load and clinical services were also found to be far below norms, with OPD attendance of 182 at 1 pm against the required 400 and bed occupancy at 45 per cent against the required 80 per cent. Intensive care units reportedly had an average bed occupancy of only about 50 per cent, while the average number of deliveries was approximately 25 per month, which MARB termed “grossly deficient”.

Furthermore, student practical laboratories in some departments and the research laboratory were unavailable. Lecture theatres did not conform to Minimum Standard Requirements, the library had only 744 books against a requirement of 1,500, and just two journals against the required fifteen. The report also noted the absence of an ART centre and facilities for managing MDR-TB, as well as significant infrastructure deficiencies in some departments, including a lack of separate male and female wards. Only two operating theatres were functional against the requirement of five; there was no minor OT in the OPD area, and equipment for para-clinical subjects was deemed inadequate.

MARB cited Chapter V (Sanction & Penalty), Regulation 29 of the “Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment & Rating Regulations, 2023”, which treats non-compliance by a medical college as a penalizable offence. The deficiencies enumerated in the inspection report were categorised as non-compliance under these regulations. After reviewing the assessment, the Commission concluded that the institute failed to meet the Minimum Standard Requirements specified in UGMSR-2023 for establishing and operating a medical college.

Consequently, with the NMC Chairman’s approval, MARB decided to withdraw the Letter of Permission (dated September 8, 2025) with immediate effect. In addition to withdrawing the LoP, MARB has decided to invoke the Performance Bank Guarantee provided by the college, in accordance with the terms of the original permission. This step underscores the financial and regulatory consequences of non-compliance for the institution.

Significantly, the order expressly safeguards the interests of students already admitted for the 2025-26 academic year. It states that all students admitted during counselling for AY 2025-26 shall be accommodated in other medical institutions within the Union Territory as supernumerary seats by the competent authority of the UT government. This means no admitted student will lose an MBBS seat due to a withdrawal; instead, they will be reallocated to other recognised medical colleges in Jammu & Kashmir, in addition to the regular sanctioned intake. The implementation of this relocation will rest with the UT’s designated health and counselling authorities, who have been formally notified by copy of the order.

Credit : Organiser Weekly