‘What are you celebrating?’ Omar Abdullah slams row over Muslim admissions as NMC pulls SMVDIME MBBS approval

Chief Minister questions NMC inspection and university leadership as MBBS permission is withdrawn from SMVDIME.

• J&K CM Omar Abdullah vows to relocate SMVDIME MBBS students to nearby colleges
• NMC withdrew SMVDIME's MBBS approval over infrastructure and faculty issues
• Political parties clash over college closure and impact on students' futures

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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said his government would accommodate students of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) in government medical colleges closer to their homes after the National Medical Commission withdrew permission to run its MBBS course, according to The Indian Express.

He also said responsibility must be fixed for the deficiencies flagged by the regulator that led to the decision, warning that students’ careers cannot be made collateral damage.

What triggered the crisis

The National Medical Commission late on Tuesday withdrew its approval for SMVDIME’s MBBS programme, citing serious shortcomings in infrastructure, including faculty strength and availability of clinical material.

The move came amid protests by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti, a group of nearly 60 pro-RSS and pro-BJP organisations that opposed the admission of Muslim students at the institute. Of the 50 students admitted to SMVDIME’s first-ever MBBS batch, 44 are Muslims.

‘Ask the university why it failed’

Addressing reporters in Jammu, Abdullah said questions must be directed at the university authorities for failing to clear the inspection.

“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 said, as quoted by The Indian Express.

Responding to BJP leaders’ allegations that standards were not maintained, Abdullah, without naming the Lieutenant Governor, said the matter was even more serious if that was the case.

“Who heads the university and who is its Chancellor?… You should ask questions to him too,” he said. The J&K Lieutenant Governor is the chancellor of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University.

Government relief plan for students

Abdullah said he had directed Health Minister Sakina Itoo to intervene immediately and ensure that affected students are adjusted in nearby government medical colleges within the Union Territory.

“Accommodating 50 students is not a problem for the government,” he said, adding that action should be taken against those responsible for a decision that could damage students’ futures.

Original context: Unlike most medical college closures that play out over multiple admission cycles, the SMVDIME decision affects a college in its very first MBBS batch, intensifying the academic and legal stakes for students who entered through NEET-based merit selection.

Questions raised on NMC inspection

The Chief Minister also questioned the NMC’s own role, asking who conducted the inspection that led to the Letter of Permission being granted in the first place, The Indian Express reported.

Officials from SMVDIME have contested the findings of the surprise inspection conducted earlier this month, calling the report “contrary to facts” and alleging that the visit was carried out with a predetermined intent to shut the college.

Political backlash across parties

On Wednesday evening in Samba, Abdullah criticised Sangarsh Samiti leaders and the BJP for allegedly celebrating the NMC decision.

“What is this happiness about?” he asked. “If destroying children’s futures gives you happiness, then burst firecrackers,” he said, according to The Indian Express.

He warned that while 40 of the 50 current seats went to students from Kashmir, the college would have expanded over time, benefiting Jammu as well. “Tomorrow, those children will not get medical college seats because you got the entire college shut down in the name of religion,” he said.

BJP and others respond

J&K BJP president Sat Sharma rejected the allegation of celebrations, saying the NMC acted after finding deficiencies and accusing Abdullah of politicising admissions to divert attention from governance failures.

Leaders from other parties also weighed in. Shiv Sena’s Manish Sahni said a solution should have been found instead of shutting the college. AAP leader Amit Kapoor criticised celebrations over the closure, while Congress spokesperson Ravinder Sharma asked what Jammu gained from losing a “premier medical institute”.

National Conference leader Rattan Lal Gupta termed the withdrawal a “systematic failure” of the L-G administration, while Budhal MLA Javed Iqbal Choudhary called the de-recognition “dangerous” if driven by opposition to Muslim students selected on merit.