The Samiti had been demanding that students from Kashmir be moved to other colleges in the UT, saying that SMVDIME had been set up using offerings made at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine by Hindu pilgrims from across the country.Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence has once again approached the National Medical Commission (NMC) seeking permission to run an MBBS course for the academic year 2026-27.“We have applied after completing all the requisite formalities, including a deposit of nearly Rs 10 lakh as fees for NMC inspection and other formalities,” official sources told The Indian Express.On January 7, the institute administration had asked MBSS students to leave for their homes, hours after the NMC withdrew permission to run an MBBS course there.The NMC decision had, incidentally, come against the backdrop of protests by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti, a group of nearly 60 pro-RSS and pro-BJP organisations, which had opposed the admission of Muslim students at the institute. Of the 50 students in the college’s first-ever MBBS batch, 44 were Muslim.The Samiti had been demanding that students from Kashmir be moved to other colleges in the UT, saying that SMVDIME had been set up using offerings made at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine by Hindu pilgrims from across the country. When the students were asked to leave, many had alleged that the NMC decision was linked to the protest.However, the NMC had, while withdrawing the Letter of Permission (LoP), claimed there were serious deficiencies in the institute’s infrastructure, faculty strength and the availability of clinical material.While officials had denied deficiencies in infrastructure, they now said they would be even better placed when the NMC team comes for inspection in April-May. This is because the Narayana Superspecialty Hospital, too, will become part of the medical institute. Sources said the process of taking over the management of the hospital has already begun, and all its staff, including doctors, will report to the institute from April 1.Story continues below this adInaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 19, 2016, at Kakryal, near Katra, the hospital caters to patients across more than 20 specialities.With this, the strength of teaching and clinical staff at the medical institute will increase significantly, officials said, adding that there will also be more additions to the already existing infrastructure in the next few months.The 50 MBBS students from the scrapped MBBS course were adjusted in seven newly established government medical colleges in the Union Territory – three in the Kashmir valley, where 22 students were admitted, and four in Jammu province, where the rest were adjusted.