Majoritarianism Killed Merit: On J&K Medical College Drama
National Medical Commision (NMC), on Wednesday, withdrew the Letter of Permission granted to J&K's SVDMC, citing concerns regarding "non-compliance with minimum standards”.
The withdrawal of MBBS recognition from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institue of Medical Excellence in Reasi, Jammu and Kashmir should have been a moment of concern. Instead, for some, it became a moment of celebration. What preceded it makes the episode even more disturbing.
Only weeks ago, Hindu groups had protested the admission of over 40 Muslim students into the college, calling it demographic imbalance and raising communal slogans. Videos of the agitation circulated widely. When the National Medical Commission later withdrew the college’s permission citing academic deficiencies, the same groups distributed sweets and declared it a victory. This is where a regulatory failure turned into a social failure.
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The students who now face displacement, uncertainty and delayed careers are not abstractions. They are young people who cleared NEET, secured seats on merit, and committed years of their lives to becoming doctors. Many of those now stranded belong to the very group that was targeted in protests.
This is not about defending a deficient institution. If a college failed inspections, it must be held accountable. But when regulatory action becomes a pretext for religious triumphalism, the moral ground collapses. Education is meant to be the great equaliser. When it becomes a site for exclusion, it loses that purpose.
The Government now must ensure immediate relocation of affected students, protect them from harassment, investigate the communal mobilisation around the issue, and make future approvals stricter and more transparent. Regulation cannot be selective. And education cannot be allowed to become a tool for division.
