Jammu, 07 January 2025:
J&K BJP President and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Sat Sharma CA, along with J&K BJP General Secretaries Sanjita Dogra, Baldev Singh Billawaria, Mohammad Anwar Khan, and Gopal Mahajan, addressed a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu.
Addressing media persons, Sat Sharma CA stated that Jammu has been witnessing continuous protests for the past several days over the admissions and functioning of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence. He noted that majority of social organizations from Jammu had raised the issue strongly. He emphasized that the institution is marked by the faith of one religion and is sustained by donations contributed by people from the Hindu religion. Serious concerns were raised regarding the induction of students from other faiths, which intensified public unrest.
Sat Sharma welcomed and hailed the decisive action taken by the National Medical Commission (NMC), under which a committee of assessors from the Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) visited the Medical College on 2 January 2026. He informed that the NMC had received numerous complaints alleging that the Medical College (Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence) lacked essential facilities required for proper medical education and training.
He revealed that the assessors’ committee found grave shortcomings in the institution, including severe deficiencies in infrastructure and clinical exposure. According to the assessment report, there was a 39% deficiency in teaching faculty, 65% shortage of demonstrators, tutors, and senior residents, OPD attendance of only 182 patients against the mandated 400, bed occupancy at 45% instead of the required 80%, average ICU occupancy of 50%, and delivery cases well below prescribed norms, among several other critical deficiencies. He said that virtually all basic requirements essential for the smooth and proper functioning of a medical college were found lacking.
Sat Sharma expressed gratitude to the Union leadership, including BJP National President and Union Minister JP Nadda, for their guidance and support in safeguarding public interest and students’ futures. He further reassured that students who had already been selected for admission to the Medical College (Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence) would be adjusted in other well-functioning medical colleges, over and above their regular intake capacity, to ensure that their academic and professional careers are fully protected.
He thanked the National Medical Commission for adhering strictly to its norms and for taking timely and courageous decisions in the larger interest of public health and patient safety. He said that the NMC’s action has given immense satisfaction to devotees who have deep faith in the Lotus Feet of Mata Vaishno Devi, adding that Devi Mata has herself protected both the faith of devotees and the careers of aspiring doctors, who will now receive proper training in other medical institutions.
Clarifying the BJP’s stand, Sat Sharma said that certain political parties attempted to politicize the issue and give it a communal color, but the BJP never politicized the matter nor allowed it to become a communal issue. He emphasized that the party remained committed only to facts, norms, and public welfare.
Putting all speculation to rest, he stated that the NMC has cancelled the recognition of the Medical College (Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence) due to its failure to fulfill minimum mandatory criteria. While appreciating the proactive and responsible role played by the Lieutenant Governor, Sat Sharma requested him to further examine any other irregularities, flaws, or violations related to rules, laws, and bye-laws in this institution, as well as in other similar institutions.
Sat Sharma remarked that although the issue gained prominence because the institution is run by the Shrine Board, many medical institutions across the country are routinely de-recognized by the NMC as part of its regular regulatory process. He reiterated that the NMC acted purely in a professional and objective manner after receiving complaints and identifying serious irregularities, ensuring that standards in medical education and patient care are not compromised.
