Jammu — The permission to conduct the MBBS course at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, Katra, has been withdrawn by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board, acting under the National Medical Commission.
This decision was made based on a surprise inspection conducted on January 2, 2026, which revealed serious deficiencies in teaching arrangements, infrastructure, patient capacity, and clinical facilities. The Board stated that the institution failed to meet minimum prescribed standards, and the withdrawal of recognition was carried out after authorisation by the Chairperson of the National Medical Commission.
Background: Protests over demographic bias
Earlier, protests had been reported after it became known that 42 out of the 50 students enrolled in the MBBS programme were Muslims. Hindu organisations had raised objections, questioning this demographic composition in an institution funded through temple resources.
Then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had clarified that all admissions were made strictly in accordance with NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test) and the merit list, and that no discrimination was practised on religious grounds. He had also stated that if the institution intended to seek minority status, it should have applied for it earlier.
Major deficiencies identified during inspection
As part of the regulatory assessment, the Medical Assessment and Rating Board carried out an inspection on 2 January 2026. The inspection found a 39 per cent shortfall in teaching staff, with the number of tutors, demonstrators and senior resident doctors being deficient by approximately 65 per cent.
Patient load and clinical services were also substantially below required norms. The outpatient department recorded 182 patients against the stipulated 400. Inpatient occupancy stood at 45 per cent instead of the expected 80 per cent, while only half of the beds in the intensive care unit were occupied. It was further noted that the number of deliveries conducted per month was limited to 25.
November 22, 2025
Protest against demographic bias in Vaishno Devi Medical College admissions
VHP and Bajrang Dal demand cancellation of the first admission list, alleging an attempt to Islamise the institution funded through temple offerings.
This college was built using temple offerings from Hindu devotees, yet the admission list reflects a demographic bias that contradicts its very foundation. Failing to address this would amount to betraying the trust of lakhs of devotees. – Editor
Jammu – In the first round of admissions at the ‘Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence’, nearly 90 per cent of selected students are Muslims, sparking widespread outrage. Pro-Hindu parties and organisations have demanded that ‘the first admission list be cancelled’. Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal held a protest outside the Katra campus of the college. An effigy of the Chief Executive Officer of the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board was burnt during the protest.
Rajesh Gupta, VHP’s Jammu & Kashmir President, said that the first list should be cancelled and that the majority of students selected in the next list must be Hindus. He levelled a serious allegation that the list of 50 students was a conspiracy to ‘Islamise’ the institution.
Rakesh Bajrangi, President of Bajrang Dal, Jammu & Kashmir, alleged that discrimination took place while preparing the list. He said that they had no objection to students from Kashmir securing admission in any other medical college; however, seats should be reserved for Hindu students at the Vaishno Devi College, as it has been built from the donations given to the ‘Vaishno Devi Shrine Board’.
BJP’s clear stand
R.S. Pathania, BJP MLA from Udhampur, said that the medical college was established entirely from offerings made to the Vaishno Devi temple. Therefore, a demographic dominance of Muslim students is inappropriate; some seats must be reserved for Hindus. He further stated that even minority institutions receiving government funds reserve seats for the communities they claim to represent. In contrast, this institution does not take a single rupee from the government and runs solely on the donations of Vaishno Devi pilgrims. Hence, seats must be reserved for Hindu students, as the matter is directly connected with the faith of the pilgrims.
Reasoning by administrative officials
Some administrative officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that the admission process was conducted strictly as per the guidelines of the National Medical Commission. Admissions to all 1,685 seats across the 13 medical colleges in Jammu & Kashmir were made strictly according to NEET rankings. They added that another criterion mandates that 85 per cent of the seats must be reserved for residents of the Union Territory, so admissions were granted accordingly.
