Srinagar: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has withdrawn the permission granted in September last year to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) Institute of Medical Excellence in Jammu and Kashmir to open admissions for the MBBS course.The decision came hours after the activists of the newly-floated SMVD Sangharsh Samiti which is backed by the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party held a protest outside the civil secretariat in Jammu on Tuesday against the admission of Muslim and other non-Hindu students to the institute.According to reports on January 6, the NMC, citing “severe findings about non-compliance with minimum standards”, has withdrawn the ‘Letter of Permission’ granted to the SMVD University whose board runs the medical institute.Of the 50 students from the first batch who got admission last year on the basis of their NEET rankings, 47 are Muslims and one is a Sikh while only two are Hindus. The NMC has ordered their placement at other government medical colleges of the Union territory.Earlier, a team of the commission carried out “surprise inspection” of the institute in Kakryal area of Reasi district on January 3 following a “request” by the Samiti, Sukhvir Singh Mankotia, convener of the outfit which is spearheading the agitation in Jammu said in a statement on January 4.The Samiti which has the backing of the Hindutva groups has threatened to launch a mass agitation in Jammu against what it terms was “discrimination against the Hindus” while warning the government that the presence of Muslims and non-Hindu students could trigger law and order problems at the institute.The protest against the admission of Muslims and other non-Hindu students gained momentum in November last year when the activists of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal and other Hindutva outfits stormed the institute.Also: Contrary to Hindutva Claims, Vaishno Devi Medical Institute Got Rs 121 Crore in J&K Govt GrantsThe protesters demanded that the government shut down the institute, arguing that it was funded by the “donations of Hindu pilgrims” and that the MBBS seats there should be reserved only for the Hindu students.However, the J&K government led by the chief minister Omar Abdullah ruled out such an arrangement, citing the SMVD University Act which governs the admissions to the institute, daring the saffron party to declare the varsity as a minority institution.While the BJP backed the agitation which has taken on a communal colour in recent weeks, Abdullah as well as other senior leaders of the National Conference and others have accused the saffron party of using the issue for political gains.According to reports, the SMVD university applied for permission to establish a new medical college with the intake of 50 MBBS seats for 2025-26 under the NMC’s public notices on December 5 and December 19 last year.The approval was granted by the commission on September 8, 2025.“The LoP was subject to several conditions, including maintaining essential standards, allowing surprise inspections, providing accurate information, and rectifying deficiencies before renewal. MARB also reserved the right to withdraw or cancel the permission in case of misrepresentation, non-compliance, or failure to meet regulatory norms,” reports said.Senior BJP leader and Udhampur East legislator R.S. Pathania welcomed the NMC’s decision: “Quality Over Quantity. NMC has revoked permission for 50 MBBS seats at SMVDIME due to a failure to meet essential standards. It reaffirms commitment to Quality. Every affected student will be seamlessly transferred to a Supernumerary Seat in other UT Colleges”.