Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called for strict accountability after the National Medical Commission (NMC) revoked permission for the MBBS course at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME). The decision, citing serious infrastructure and faculty deficiencies, has thrown the futures of 50 students into uncertainty and sparked a major political controversy.
Chief Minister's Stern Response and Student Relocation Plan
Addressing journalists in Jammu on Thursday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah demanded answers from the university administration. "You should ask questions to the university and its office bearers, right from top to the bottom, that if you had set up a medical college, why did it not pass the (NMC) inspection," he stated. He pointedly questioned the role of the university's Chancellor, a position held by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Abdullah immediately directed Health Minister Sakina Itoo to intervene. He assured that the government would accommodate all 50 affected students in other government medical colleges within the Union Territory, closer to their homes, to ensure their studies are not disrupted. "Accommodating 50 students in other medical colleges is not a problem for the government," he affirmed, but stressed that someone must be held responsible for the damage to the students' careers.
Political Firestorm Over Closure and Alleged Celebrations
The NMC's action followed a surprise inspection earlier this month which found the institute lacking in required infrastructure, faculty strength, and clinical material. However, the closure has been mired in controversy. The decision came amid ongoing protests by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti, a coalition of nearly 60 pro-RSS and pro-BJP groups, which had opposed the admission of Muslim students to the college. Notably, 44 out of the first batch of 50 MBBS students were Muslim, having secured seats through the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
Omar Abdullah strongly criticised those celebrating the NMC's order. "What is this happiness about? If destroying children’s futures gives you happiness, then burst firecrackers," he said during a public meeting in Samba. He argued that the closure, driven by communal politics, would ultimately harm the youth of Jammu, as the college had the potential to expand from 50 to 400 seats in the coming years.
BJP's J&K president, Sat Sharma, denied any celebrations by his party, attributing the NMC's decision solely to infrastructure flaws. He accused Abdullah of politicising the issue. Other political voices also weighed in. J&K AAP leader Amit Kapoor lamented, "Some people are distributing sweets when the college is closed... Today, I am forced to say that Jammu is finished." J&K Congress spokesperson Ravinder Sharma questioned what Jammu gained from shutting down a premier institute named after Mata Vaishno Devi.
Allegations of a Pre-Determined Inspection and Broader Fallout
Officials from SMVDIME have contested the NMC's inspection report, calling it a "farce" and "contrary to facts." They alleged that the inspection team arrived with a pre-determined agenda to shut down the college to appease the protesting groups opposed to Muslim admissions.
Rattan Lal Gupta, provincial president of the ruling National Conference, called the incident a "systematic failure" reflecting the L-G administration's inability to ensure compliance. Budhal MLA Javed Iqbal Choudhary termed the de-recognition a "dangerous and shameful reality" if it was due to meritorious Muslim students gaining admission, urging the nation to introspect.
The episode has escalated into a significant flashpoint, highlighting tensions over education, governance, and communal politics in Jammu and Kashmir, with the careers of 50 aspiring doctors hanging in the balance.
