Historic Decision by NMC to Withdraw Letter of Permission for SMVDIME
In a significant development, the Leader of Opposition in the J&K Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, has praised the National Medical Commission (NMC) for its decision to revoke the Letter of Permission (LoP) granted to SMVDIME in Reasi. The NMC’s move to withdraw the LoP for running the MBBS course with 50 seats for the academic year 2025-26 has been hailed as a “historic move” by Sharma.
Sharma, in a video statement released on January 7, 2026, commended the NMC for its late-night decision on January 6, which came after serious findings in the survey conducted by the NMC’s Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) regarding non-compliance with minimum standards at SMVDIME.
According to Sharma, the NMC acted under the National Medical Commission Act, 2019, which empowers the MARB to conduct surprise evaluations of medical institutions. A recent inspection revealed significant non-compliance issues, leading to the decision to revoke the LoP.
Furthermore, Sharma welcomed the NMC’s decision to accommodate all students admitted to SMVDIME during counseling for the academic year 2025-26 in other medical institutions within J&K as supernumerary seats. He expressed gratitude to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, NMC, and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for facilitating this transition, especially considering the sentiments of the Sanatan Dharma community.
Additionally, Sharma appreciated the efforts of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti (SAVDSS) for leading a peaceful movement on this issue and extended gratitude to them.
However, Sharma criticized Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the National Conference for politicizing the issue and giving it a “Hindu-Muslim” spin. He clarified that the matter was about preserving the donations made by the Sanatan Dharma community for religious purposes, not about communal differences.
Sharma emphasized that the NMC’s decision has safeguarded the future of all students admitted to SMVDIME, ensuring their educational continuity.
Meanwhile, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti (SMVDSS) welcomed the NMC’s decision in a press conference, expressing gratitude to the central leadership, NMC, and the Lieutenant Governor for addressing the issue in line with the people’s aspirations.
