The Jammu and Kashmir Board has announced it cannot conduct fresh counselling for MBBS admissions at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College, leaving students in limbo. This follows the National Medical Commission’s withdrawal of permission due to non-compliance with standards.
India
-Krishna Kripa
The
Jammu
and
Kashmir
Board
of
Professional
Entrance
Examinations
(BOPEE)
has
stated
it
cannot
organise
new
counselling
sessions
for
MBBS
admissions.
The
allocation
of
supernumerary
seats
for
students
previously
admitted
to
the
Shri
Mata
Vaishno
Devi
Institute
of
Medical
Excellence
(SMVDIME)
should
be
handled
at
the
government
level.
This
clarification
was
made
in
a
letter
to
the
Union
territory’s
health
and
medical
education
department.
image
The
Jammu
and
Kashmir
Board
has
announced
it
cannot
conduct
fresh
counselling
for
MBBS
admissions
at
Shri
Mata
Vaishno
Devi
Medical
College,
leaving
students
in
limbo.
This
follows
the
National
Medical
Commission’s
withdrawal
of
permission
due
to
non-compliance
with
standards.
Earlier
this
month,
the
National
Medical
Commission’s
Medical
Assessment
and
Rating
Board
revoked
SMVDIME’s
permission
due
to
non-compliance
with
standards.
It
suggested
that
students
admitted
during
counselling
should
be
placed
in
other
Jammu
and
Kashmir
institutions
as
supernumerary
seats.
The
Sangharsh
Samiti,
a
coalition
of
right-wing
groups
supported
by
the
BJP,
has
been
protesting
since
last
November.
They
demand
the
cancellation
of
SMVDIME
admissions
and
reservation
of
seats
for
those
who
follow
Mata
Vaishno
Devi.
BOPEE’s
Position
on
Counselling
In
a
letter
to
the
health
department,
BOPEE
explained
its
constraints
regarding
new
counselling
for
2025-26.
It
stated
it
cannot
exceed
the
schedule
set
by
the
Medical
Counselling
Committee
(MCC),
MoHFW,
New
Delhi.
The
data
for
1,410
MBBS
candidates,
including
50
from
SMVDIME,
was
updated
on
MCC’s
portal
by
December
31,
2025.
BOPEE
emphasised
that
creating
and
allocating
supernumerary
seats
is
beyond
its
jurisdiction.
Therefore,
reallocating
these
seats
should
involve
the
government,
National
Medical
Commission,
and
relevant
medical
colleges
in
Jammu
and
Kashmir.
This
decision
affects
the
inaugural
batch
of
50
students
at
SMVDIME,
which
included
42
Muslims
from
Kashmir,
seven
Hindus
from
Jammu,
and
one
Sikh
student.
Government’s
Assurance
Jammu
and
Kashmir
Chief
Minister
Omar
Abdullah
assured
that
these
students’
education
would
not
be
disrupted.
“It
is
our
legal
responsibility
to
accommodate
them,” he
said.
The
government
plans
to
create
supernumerary
seats
in
nearby
colleges
to
ensure
their
studies
continue
without
interruption.
The
situation
has
sparked
demands
for
cancelling
admissions
and
reserving
all
seats
for
Hindu
students
due
to
the
religious
composition
of
SMVDIME’s
initial
batch.
The
ongoing
agitation
highlights
tensions
surrounding
educational
opportunities
and
religious
representation
in
the
region.
The
resolution
of
this
issue
requires
collaboration
between
government
bodies
and
educational
institutions
to
ensure
fair
treatment
for
all
affected
students
while
addressing
community
concerns.
With
inputs
from
PTI
