There is a sense of shock and anxiety among Muslim students, who have started migrating from the campus at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Jammu’s Katra, over the suspension of the MBBS course despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi having inaugurated the state-of-the-art Narayana Superspeciality Hospital.
“We are unable to believe that the college with such infrastructure stands closed. It offered up-to-the-mark facilities in every aspect. One of the best medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir stands closed,” said Aleena, one of the migrating students from the campus.
The admission of a higher number of Muslim students had sparked protests from Hindu groups, who formed a Sangharsh Samiti, and the BJP, which raised the issue with J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.
Cancellation of MBBS course at Vaishno Devi medical college welcomed by protestors
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College, one of the ambitious projects of J&K, registered its first batch on the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) ranking in October-November 2024. Out of 50 MBBS seats, 42 Muslim students, mostly from Kashmir, qualified for the college.
