SRINAGAR | NOVEMBER 14,2026 : More than 100 NEET-qualified medical aspirants in Kashmir fear losing an entire academic year as the proposed Kashmir Medical College (KMC) awaits the mandatory Letter of Permission (LoP) from the National Medical Commission (NMC) to begin its MBBS programme for the 2026–27 session.
Parents and students staged a protest in Srinagar, appealing to the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda and other authorities to intervene, with the November 16 admission deadline fast approaching.
Protesters said several students had declined MBBS admission opportunities in other states, hoping to secure seats at Kashmir’s first proposed private medical college and pursue their education closer to home.
KMC Executive Director Insha Qazi said the High Court had directed the NMC to issue a conditional LoP before November 16. She stated that the college’s application was rejected in June, followed by another inspection in October, and appealed to the commission to comply with the court’s direction without further delay.
Parents said students had already endured considerable uncertainty after appearing for NEET twice this year following the cancellation of the first examination. Aspirants who had secured opportunities in states such as Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Telangana said they had chosen to wait for KMC.
The All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA), led by President Dr Mohammad Momin Khan, also expressed concern over the delay and urged the Union Health Minister to intervene before the deadline.
The association said approval for KMC could create additional opportunities for students from Jammu and Kashmir to pursue medical education within the region.
With the deadline just days away, students and parents are urging the authorities to resolve the approval issue and prevent more than 100 aspiring doctors from potentially losing an academic year.
