Srinagar, Jan 7, KNT: The withdrawal of recognition for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Reasi by the National Medical Commission has sparked widespread concern across Jammu and Kashmir, with doctors and academics warning that the fallout harms both regions in different but equally serious ways.
The controversy arose from protests by certain groups objecting to the admission profile of the first MBBS batch at the Reasi-based medical college, where a majority of the selected candidates were Muslim. The government and medical authorities had maintained that all admissions were conducted strictly on merit through NEET, with no consideration of religion.
A couple of senior doctors, on condition of anonymity, told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that the immediate victims of the decision are the students whose academic futures have been thrown into uncertainty.
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“A medical seat is not a political token. These students cleared a national examination and earned their place. Destabilising an institution at this stage damages the credibility of the entire system,” said a senior physician associated with a government medical college in Jammu.
He added that the institutional loss is particularly severe for the Jammu region, where the college was expected to strengthen healthcare delivery in remote and hilly districts such as Reasi.
“This college was meant to address doctor shortages in the Chenab belt. The withdrawal of recognition sets back years of planning and investment. Institutionally, Jammu loses a vital academic asset,” said a senior medico at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar.
Some of the academicians at Kashmir University pointed out that the social and psychological impact is deeply felt in Kashmir, where students who qualified on merit now face questions over their legitimacy.
“When merit-based admissions are communalised, it sends a dangerous signal. Kashmiri students begin to feel that even merit cannot shield them from suspicion. That alienation has long-term consequences,” said a university academic.
They warned that politicising medical education risks discouraging future investments and undermining confidence in regulatory processes.
“This episode weakens faith in autonomous regulation. Medical education must remain insulated from identity politics; otherwise, the entire region pays the price,” a retired health administrator said.
Some of the doctors agree that while the institutional setback is more visible in Jammu and the social fallout sharper in Kashmir, the overall damage is collective. The controversy has raised serious questions about the protection of merit, the stability of new institutions, and the long-term impact on the psyche of Kashmir. [KNT]
