Indian authorities have withdrawn approval for a newly launched medical college in Indian-administered Kashmir after sustained protests by Hindu right-wing groups objecting to the admission of a predominantly Muslim first batch of students.
The decision was announced on 6 January by the National Medical Commission (NMC), which revoked recognition of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical Institute (SMVDMI) in Reasi District. The private institution, established by a Hindu religious trust with partial government funding, had enrolled its first MBBS cohort only weeks earlier.
Out of 50 students admitted in November, 42 were Muslims—mostly from Kashmir—alongside seven Hindu students and one Sikh.
Admissions were made through India’s centralised medical entrance system, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), which allocates seats nationwide based on merit and candidate preferences.
Soon after classes began, local Hindu groups launched protests outside the campus, objecting to the religious composition of the intake.
Demonstrators argued that because the college is associated with the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, Muslim students should not have been admitted.
The agitation continued for weeks, with daily demonstrations and slogan-chanting outside the institute.
Several lawmakers from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrote to New Delhi’s appointed administrator, calling for admissions to be restricted to Hindu students. The demands later escalated to calls for the college’s closure.
Amid the protests, the NMC cited failures to meet minimum standards, pointing to alleged shortcomings in faculty strength, hospital bed occupancy, patient flow, library facilities and operation theatres. The following day, the institute’s permission to operate was formally cancelled.
Students, however, disputed the regulator’s claims.
Several told Al Jazeera that the college was better equipped than many existing medical institutions in the region.
One student said SMVDMI had four cadavers for anatomy training—more than what is available in some government colleges. Another claimed even major public hospitals in Srinagar lacked comparable facilities.
Parents echoed those views. Gazanfar Ahmad, whose daughter Saniya Jan had enrolled after clearing NEET, said the campus appeared well-run and welcoming.
“Inside the college, religion did not matter,” he said.
Political analyst Zafar Choudhary questioned the timing of the regulator’s action.
“If infrastructure was inadequate, how did the college receive approval in the first place?” he asked, suggesting that facilities would have improved—not deteriorated—after classes began.
The college administration has not issued a public response, and its executive head did not reply to requests for comment.
The BJP has denied that the closure was linked to religion, insisting the decision was purely regulatory. Party spokesperson Altaf Thakur said public sentiment connected to the Vaishno Devi shrine must be respected but maintained that “there is no question of Hindus versus Muslims.”
Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the affected students would be accommodated elsewhere and promised that none would lose their academic year.
He sharply criticised the protests, saying it was unprecedented for people to campaign against having a medical college in their area.
Opposition leaders and student groups warned that the episode risked turning education into a communal issue.
National Conference lawmaker Tanvir Sadiq noted that the institute had received more than $13 million in public funding, making it accessible to all eligible residents of the region regardless of religion.
For students like Saniya, the uncertainty remains crushing. “I earned my seat through merit,” she said. “But suddenly, our identities mattered more than our hard work.”
