Protests Erupt Over Medical College Admissions in Jammu
In Jammu, members of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Struggle Committee protested against admissions to the local medical college, burning an effigy of the Lieutenant Governor. The demonstrators expressed their frustration over the college's presence at a sacred site, leading to clashes with police. The National Medical Commission recently rejected a proposal to fill all MBBS seats through the All India Quota, citing policy violations. As tensions rise, calls for changes to admission criteria are being made by various groups. Read on for more details about this unfolding situation.
| Dec 27, 2025, 14:29 IST
Demonstration Against Medical College Admissions
Members of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Struggle Committee staged a protest on Saturday outside the Lok Bhawan in Jammu, opposing admissions to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College. The demonstrators burned an effigy of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha. They waved flags of Vaishno Devi and chanted slogans demanding the cancellation of admissions, calling for the Lieutenant Governor to leave.
A protester expressed frustration, stating that officials were testing their patience and reiterated their demands. They insisted, "We simply want the medical college to be shut down. Why do they need a medical college in Katra? Move it elsewhere. This college is unacceptable at a sacred site of Sanatan Dharma in India." Tensions escalated when police attempted to control the large crowd, leading to clashes between both sides.
Last month, following a dispute over MBBS admissions, the National Medical Commission (NMC) rejected a proposal from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Katra, which sought to fill all MBBS seats through the All India Quota (AIQ) via the Medical Counseling Committee (MCC). An NMC official stated that this move was against existing policy.
According to an NMC representative, they cannot allow a single institution to manage all seats under the MCC, as a certain percentage of seats must go to the MCC and another percentage to state counseling, in line with government policies. They emphasized that decisions cannot be made arbitrarily or for one organization alone. Any amendments to the policy would require careful consideration of similar institutions. Changes in policy or percentages could lead to alterations in admission criteria for the institution.
The official stressed that any criteria must be uniformly acceptable across all states. They noted, "We need to establish a standard that is acceptable to both the state and other states." Following this year's MBBS admissions, some right-wing groups have called for changes to the selection criteria for medical seats.