India has closed a medical college in Indian-administered Kashmir following protests by right-wing Hindu groups over the high number of Muslim students admitted to its first batch.
On January 6, the National Medical Commission (NMC), the federal regulatory authority for medical education, revoked recognition of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical Institute (SMVDMI) in Reasi, a mountainous district overlooking the Pir Panjal range.
Of the 50 students who enrolled in the five-year MBBS program in November, 42 were Muslims mostly from Kashmir while seven were Hindus and one was Sikh.
This was the inaugural MBBS batch at the private college, which was founded by a Hindu religious charity and partly funded by the government.
Medical college admissions in India are based on the National Entrance Examination Test (NEET), administered by the federal National Testing Agency (NTA). Each year, more than two million students compete for roughly 120,000 MBBS seats, with public colleges being preferred for their lower fees and higher cutoffs. Students who meet the minimum threshold but not the cutoff often join private colleges.
Saniya Jan, an 18-year-old from Baramulla in Kashmir, recalled her excitement after passing NEET and being eligible for medical study.
She chose SMVDMI because it was relatively close to her home. Her father, Gazanfar Ahmad, said, “My daughter has been a topper since childhood. She really worked hard to get a medical seat.”
Students reported that the college was well-equipped and adequately resourced. “I don’t think the college lacked resources,” said one student, Jahan. “We have seen other colleges with only one cadaver per batch, while here we had four.
Every student had the opportunity to dissect individually.”
Despite this, the college’s closure came amid political pressure, raising concerns about access to education and the influence of communal factors on academic institutions in the region.
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