Jammu

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday criticised the withdrawal of permission for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence to run an MBBS programme, calling the move unjust to meritorious students.

Abdullah said students who have cleared the NEET examination deserve access to medical education close to their homes to avoid unnecessary disruption. He assured that the government would make arrangements to accommodate affected students in nearby medical colleges but questioned the decision to shut down a fully functional institution.

The Chief Minister said it was unfortunate that while aspiring medical students across the country struggle to secure seats, Jammu and Kashmir has seen the closure of an operational medical college, causing hardship to deserving candidates.

The National Medical Commission’s Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) had, on January 6, withdrawn the Letter of Permission granted to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence at Kakryal in Reasi district for conducting the MBBS course with an intake of 50 seats for the 2025–26 academic year. The decision followed a surprise inspection that reportedly found serious shortcomings in compliance with prescribed minimum standards.

Earlier in the day, Abdullah also inaugurated the e-Pathshala initiative in Jammu, describing it as a positive step towards using technology to improve access to education. He congratulated the School Education Department and other officials involved in launching the platform.

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The Chief Minister stressed that e-Pathshala is intended to support classroom learning rather than replace traditional teaching methods. He underlined that teachers and classrooms remain irreplaceable and expressed hope that technology would only be used to bridge learning gaps and strengthen the education system.