SMVDIME LoP Withdrawn: Affected students to be relocated to medical colleges nearer to native places: CM Omar
Jammu, Jan 7: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday announced that the students affected by the withdrawal of Letter of Permission (LoP) to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), Reasi, by the National Medical Commission (NMC) would be relocated to the Government Medical Colleges (GMCs), nearest to their native places, in J&K.
A day after its (LoP’s) withdrawal, CM Omar said that he had already instructed the J&K Health Minister, Sakina Masood Itoo, to initiate the process of relocation of (affected) students at the earliest.
The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) of NMC, while withdrawing the Letter of Permission (LoP), has already clarified that all students admitted during counselling for the academic year 2025-26 would be “accommodated in other medical institutions within J&K as supernumerary seats by the competent authority of the J&K government.”
It has delegated the responsibility of relocation of students to J&K’s designated health and counselling authorities.
J&K Health and Medical Education Department is the designated health authority and J&K Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE) is the designated counselling authority.
WHAT CM SAID POST LOP WITHDRAWAL
A day after calling for its shutdown, the Chief Minister on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, slammed those celebrating the withdrawal of LoP granted to SMVDIME, Reasi, by the NMC, for running the MBBS course with 50 seats for the academic year 2025-26.
He also accused them of spoiling the future of J&K children by “ensuring the closure of a medical college and thus shutting the opportunities for many students aspiring to be doctors in future.”
“Celebration for what? Elsewhere in the country, people fight for getting a medical college; ironically, here (in Jammu), they fought – seeking the closure of a medical college. You have played with the future of the children of J&K. If you are feeling happy that their (children’s) future has been spoilt, in that case, for sure, celebrate it with the bursting of crackers,” the CM said, in reply to queries of media, on the sidelines of an official event at Samba on Wednesday evening, about the celebrations by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti following the withdrawal of LoP to SMVDIME by the NMC.
“This time, over 40 seats out of 50 were bagged by students of Kashmir. After one or two years, these 50 seats would have increased to 400. It was likely that out of those 400 seats, 200-250 seats would have been bagged by Jammu students. Now that opportunity has been taken away from the students. They would not be able to procure those medical seats as the entire college has been made to shut in the name of religion,” he said.
In the same breath, CM Omar justified his remarks made a day earlier, calling for its (SMVDIME) shutdown, saying, “That is why yesterday I made those remarks that leave it, we don’t want this college. Anyway, whatever happened has happened for good. Now our children will be accommodated in our GMCs.”
The CM said that he had already instructed the Health Minister to adjust those students in the GMCs nearest to their native places.
“I have already asked the (J&K) Health Minister to expedite this process of relocation (of students). I have instructed that they should be adjusted in the medical colleges nearest to their native places so that they can become doctors and serve the people. The children, whose opportunities to seek admission in medical colleges in the future have been seized by the Sangharsh Samiti, would not forget it,” he said.
With regard to the Samba district review meeting chaired by him, the CM said that the district performed well on the indices of development and governance.
“On certain fronts, the need was felt to expedite the process. Those sectors have been reviewed, and the instructions have been issued. I hope on March 31, when the financial year ends, Samba district will fare better than other districts,” he said.
Regarding charges of regional discrimination in the selection of teams of football and cricket, CM Omar reiterated that he only wanted to see J&K excelling in sports.
“For me, the religion of the players in the J&K teams does not matter. The Under-16 J&K cricket team has won the Vijay Merchant cup. Tomorrow, I will meet them and personally greet them for their achievement. I hope this winning streak of J&K teams continues,” he said.
Earlier during the day, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, speaking to media persons on the sidelines of an official review meeting in Kathua, also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), echoing the sentiments of the CM.
“BJP is celebrating after ruining the future of J&K children and Jammu in particular. They should, in fact, observe ‘Black Day’ as this college was named after Mata Vaishno Devi and would have opened new vistas for the J&K students aspiring to be doctors. The next few years would have seen an increase in the number of seats. BJP ruined everything. They will have to answer to people,” he said.
The Deputy CM also questioned the move of the NMC.
“What the NMC has done is a separate matter, and it is also under question. But the BJP is mainly culpable. If NMC is doing it and if NMC has taken a decision, it is very obvious that the BJP-led central government has prevailed (over NMC decision),” he said.
BACKDROP TO WITHDRAWAL MOVE
Notably, the withdrawal of LoP to SMVDIME came in the backdrop of an agitation by the SMVDSS seeking cancellation of the selection list of medical students in SMVDIME, as it contained a majority of students from a particular faith.
Sangharsh Samiti was demanding that all the “seats should be reserved for the students who believe in the Sanatan Dharma and Mata Vaishno Devi” as SMVDIME is run by the donations of those who follow Sanatan Dharma.
WHAT MARB-NMC ORDER SAID ABOUT ACCOMMODATING AFFECTED STUDENTS
The order, issued late Tuesday (January 6, 2026) evening, is meant to safeguard the interests of students already admitted for the academic year 2025-26.
“All students admitted during counselling for AY 2025-26 shall be accommodated in other medical institutions within J&K as supernumerary seats by the competent authority of the J&K government.”
This means no admitted student will lose an MBBS seat due to the withdrawal decision; instead, they would be adjusted in other recognised medical colleges in J&K over and above the regular sanctioned intake.
As per the order, the implementation of this relocation will rest with the J&K’s designated health and counselling authorities, which have been formally informed through copies of the MARB-NMC order.
HOW MARB-NMC EXPLAINED WITHDRAWAL MOVE
The order stated that the withdrawal move came after “serious findings about non-compliance with minimum standards during a surprise inspection of NMC.”
As per the order, the college (SMVDIME) had applied under NMC’s public notices dated December 5, 2024, and December 19, 2024, for establishing 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, as per order, 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 the permission in case of misrepresentation, non-compliance, or failure to meet regulatory norms.
After multiple complaints alleging inadequate infrastructure, clinical material, and qualified full-time teaching faculty and resident doctors at the college, 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.
It was pointed out that MARB cited Chapter V (Sanction and Penalty), Regulation 29 of the “Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023”, which treats non-compliance by a medical college as a penalisable offence.
The deficiencies enumerated in the inspection report were categorised as non-compliance under these regulations.
