Congress questions withdrawal of MBBS approval for SMVD medical college despite NEET-based admissions

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday accused the Modi government of indulging in "communalisation of education" following the withdrawal of permission for MBBS course at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) and demanded that the college be reopened.

Earlier this month, the National Medical Commission (NMC) revoked the Letter of Permission to J-K's Katra-based college, citing non-compliance with minimum standards and extensive deficiencies in faculty strength, clinical material and infrastructure.

The order followed an agitation by the Sangharsh Samiti, a recently-formed conglomerate of right-wing outfits backed by the BJP, demanding cancellation of admissions to the medical college and seeking reservation of seats exclusively for students professing faith in Mata Vaishno Devi.

Congress general secretary in-charge Jammu and Kashmir Syed Naseer Hussain accused the Modi government of indulging in "communalisation of education."

SMVD follows NEET-based admissions

"Admissions to students at the Vaishno Devi Medical College in Jammu-Kashmir were done based on NEET. The number of Muslim students in the final admission list was higher in the admission list; 42 out of 50 students were Muslim . This happened because the Muslim community has a larger population in that area. During counselling, most children chose colleges in their own region so they could stay close to home," Hussain said at a press conference here along with J&K AICC Secretary Divvya Madernna.

The National Medical Commission cancelled the permission for this college altogether, he said. "In such a situation, the question arises -- wasn't a proper inspection done before granting a license to this college? Weren't all the rules followed before granting the license? Let us tell you that there are many such examples in Hindustan, where a large number of children from other communities also study in Muslim or Christian colleges," Hussain said.

Posing questions to the government, Hussain asked why a sudden inspection was conducted at Vaishno Devi Medical College, who complained about it and whether action was taken against the college due to the pressure being issued in the public domain.

"Were the circumstances so serious that the entire medical college had to be shut down. Was no information taken about the examination system? In September 2025, permission was granted to the medical college for the MBBS course, so was no inspection related to infrastructure conducted before that?" he said.

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Is NMC being misused? Congress asks

The Congress leader also asked whether, just as the ED, the CBI, the IT and the ECI are being misused, the National Medical Commission is also being misused in the same way. Raising the demands of the Congress, Hussain called for the reopening of the medical college after taking corrective measures.

Hussain and Maderna also raised the issue of a demolition in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. A person named Abdul Naeem reportedly invested Rs. 20–22 lakh of his personal savings, purchased land, secured the required NOCs and licenses and established a school to educate children from nearby villages and tribal communities, they said.

"Despite this, rumours were spread branding the school a 'madrasa', even though only three Muslim families live in the village. Subsequently, the district administration used a bulldozer to demolish the school structure, allegedly without prior notice or a transparent investigation," they alleged.

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Congress seeks prove into Betul demolition

They called for rebuilding and permitting the reopening of the school demolished in Betul, Madhya Pradesh. The Congress leaders also called for an investigation by a high-power committee in both these cases and to punish the guilty. BJP should put an end to bulldozer culture and toxic politics, they said.

The Betul district administration has said it has demolished an illegal portion of a building for not completing formalities, rejecting reports that rumours of a madrasa or a school being operated from the structure prompted the action. A team led by Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Ajit Maravi razed the building's shed constructed with iron sheets in Dhaba village under Bhainsdehi tehsil last Tuesday.

In her remarks, Madernna said, "Sonia Gandhi ji brought the Right to Education Act during the UPA government, but the BJP government is coming with the Right to Demolish Education System. For BJP, education has become nothing more than an election slogan."

The BJP government wants to systematically destroy the rationality and critical thinking of educated youth through a well-planned conspiracy, so that they can run the curriculum of their WhatsApp University, she alleged.