The National Medical Commission (NMC) has withdrawn the letter of permission granted to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district after a surprise inspection found widespread non-compliance with minimum standards. The decision takes immediate effect, though all admitted students will retain their MBBS seats through relocation.

Students to be accommodated as supernumerary seats

An order issued by the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) on Tuesday said all students admitted during counselling for the academic year 2025-26 will be accommodated in other recognised medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir as supernumerary seats.

This ensures that no student loses an MBBS seat because of the withdrawal. The Union Territory’s designated health and counselling authorities will oversee the relocation process and have been formally informed of the decision.

Surprise inspection revealed non-compliance

According to the order, the non-compliance was detected during a surprise inspection conducted on January 2, 2026. The inspection was carried out under Section 28(7) of the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, which empowers the MARB to evaluate medical institutions without prior notice.

The inspection followed multiple complaints alleging inadequate infrastructure, insufficient clinical material and a shortage of qualified full-time teaching faculty and resident doctors at the college.

Severe faculty and clinical deficiencies flagged

The assessment report pointed to extensive shortcomings. These included a 39 per cent deficiency in teaching faculty and a 65 per cent shortfall in tutors, demonstrators and senior residents.

Clinical exposure was also found to be far below prescribed norms. Outpatient attendance stood at 182 at 1 pm against a required 400, while bed occupancy was recorded at 45 per cent, compared to the mandated 80 per cent. Intensive care units had around 50 per cent average bed occupancy, and the average number of deliveries was about 25 per month, which the MARB termed “grossly deficient”.

Infrastructure and academic facilities below standards

The inspection found that student practical laboratories in some departments and the research laboratory were not available. Lecture theatres failed to meet minimum standards, and the library had only 744 books against a requirement of 1,500, along with just two journals instead of the mandated 15.

The report also noted the absence of an ART centre and facilities for managing MDR-TB, along with major infrastructure gaps in certain departments, including the lack of separate male and female wards.

Only two operation theatres were functional against the required five. There was no minor operation theatre in the OPD area, and equipment for para-clinical subjects was found to be inadequate.

Regulatory action and bank guarantee invoked

The MARB cited Regulation 29 of the “Establishment of Medical Institutions, Assessment and Rating Regulations, 2023”, under Chapter V on sanction and penalty, which treats such non-compliance as a punishable offence.

After reviewing the assessment, the commission concluded that the institute had failed to meet the minimum standards laid down under the UGMSR-2023 for establishing and running a medical college. With the approval of the NMC chairman, the MARB decided to withdraw the letter of permission with immediate effect.

In addition, the board has decided to invoke the performance bank guarantee furnished by the college, underlining the regulatory and financial consequences of the violations.

Background of the approval

The institute had applied under NMC public notices issued on December 5, 2024, and December 19, 2024, to establish a new medical college with an intake of 50 MBBS seats for the 2025-26 academic year.

After processing the application, the MARB granted a letter of permission on September 8, 2025. The approval was subject to conditions such as maintaining essential standards, permitting surprise inspections, providing accurate information and rectifying deficiencies before renewal. The MARB had also reserved the right to withdraw the permission in cases of misrepresentation or non-compliance.

Decision comes amid admissions controversy

The withdrawal also comes amid a recent controversy over the admission of 46 Muslim students in the first MBBS batch of 50. Local residents and several Hindu organisations had raised objections, arguing that the college was built and largely run using donations from Hindu devotees of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and should reserve seats accordingly.