India’s medical oversight body has withdrawn approval for a new college in Kashmir, citing infrastructure shortcomings, after Hindu activists protested the enrollment of a mostly Muslim student body at the institution tied to a prominent temple trust.
The National Medical Commission (NMC) canceled the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical Institute’s permission to operate on January 6, effectively halting its inaugural MBBS program that began in November with 50 students, including 42 Muslims, seven Hindus and one Sikh.
Established by a Hindu religious organization and supported by over $13 million in public funds since 2017, the Reasi district facility faced backlash from right-wing groups who claimed Muslim students should not benefit from resources linked to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
Demonstrators, backed by lawmakers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), called for exclusive Hindu seat reservations or the school’s outright shutdown, arguing the admissions undermined the site’s spiritual significance.
The NMC justified the move by pointing to deficiencies in faculty numbers, patient volumes, library facilities and surgical infrastructure, though affected students and observers disputed these assessments.
First-year student Jahan praised the college’s resources, saying: “Some colleges have only one cadaver per batch, while this college had four, allowing individual dissection for every student.”
Fellow student Rafiq compared it favorably to established institutions in Srinagar, noting: “Even they don’t have the kind of resources we had here.”
Parent Gazanfar Ahmad, whose daughter Saniya Jan was enrolled, recalled a welcoming environment: “The faculty was supportive. Inside the campus no one cared about religion.”
Political commentator Zafar Choudhary challenged the timing of the alleged flaws, stating: “Logic dictates the infrastructure would have improved since classes started,” and labeled the protesters’ demands as “absurd” in a merit-based system.
Student Salim Manzoor highlighted inconsistencies in reservation policies, saying: “No one questioned that arrangement,” referring to minority quotas at a Muslim-majority area college.
BJP representative Altaf Thakur insisted the revocation was purely technical, while recognizing “legitimate sentiments” of devotees connected to the temple.
Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah denounced the agitation for jeopardizing youth prospects, pledging: “These children cleared NEET; it is our legal responsibility to adjust them,” via additional seats in alternative colleges.
He accused demonstrators of “playing with the future” of deserving candidates.
Regional lawmaker Tanvir Sadiq emphasized the public investment, making the institute a shared asset for all citizens.
Student activist Nasir Khuehami cautioned that injecting religion into admissions risked “communalising” education regionally.
Displaced student Saniya Jan expressed frustration: “I passed one of the toughest exams in India and earned a seat. Now everything has crashed because of our identity. They turned our merit into religion.”
