Srinagar, November 13, KDC: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has once again rejected the application of Kashmir Medical College (A Unit of Mili Trust) seeking permission to establish a new medical college at Sempora in Srinagar with an annual intake of 150 MBBS students for the 2026-27 academic session, prompting the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court to seek the trust’s response on whether it intends to pursue its legal challenge.
The development came during a hearing before Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi, when the NMC and its Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) informed the court that the college’s application had been reconsidered in compliance with earlier judicial directions but was not found eligible for permission during the current academic session.
Senior Advocate Gaurav Sharma, appearing for the NMC and MARB, placed before the court a fresh committee report dated November 5, 2026, and submitted that the application had been examined in accordance with the directions issued on October 5, October 13 and October 28.
The counsel submitted that despite reconsideration, the college could not be granted permission to commence admissions for the 2026-27 academic session. On this basis, the NMC and MARB argued that the petition had become infructuous in view of the rejection of the application for the current session.
Taking note of the submissions and the committee report, Justice Kazmi directed the petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Showkat Naqshbandi, to seek formal instructions from the trust on whether it wished to continue pursuing the legal challenge. The matter has been listed for November 20, 2026.
The latest development follows a series of proceedings before the High Court after the MARB initially disapproved the college’s application on June 9, 2026, citing deficiencies in infrastructure.
The trust had submitted its application to the NMC in January 2026, seeking permission to establish the medical college at the Industrial Estate in Sempora, Srinagar, with an annual intake of 150 MBBS students.
According to the petitioner, the application was supported by essentiality certificates, consent of affiliation, documents relating to a functional 650-bedded teaching hospital and details of registered faculty.
Challenging the initial rejection, the trust argued that its application had been turned down without a physical inspection of the proposed institution or an opportunity to rectify the alleged deficiencies.
After pursuing the appellate remedy, the trust approached the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the second appellate authority. On August 24, 2026, the Ministry remanded the matter to the NMC for reconsideration of the application and the accompanying documents.
Alleging that the directions issued by the appellate authority had not been properly implemented, the trust subsequently approached the High Court through a writ petition, seeking directions for issuance of a Letter of Permission to make the college functional.
During proceedings in October, the High Court directed the NMC authorities to undertake a physical inspection of the proposed college premises. The inspection was conducted on October 14, following which the MARB issued another order on October 27, disapproving the application.
The petitioner challenged the fresh rejection, contending that the NMC had failed to follow the statutory procedure and principles of natural justice. Its counsel argued that the regulatory authority was required to communicate the deficiencies identified during the inspection and provide the institution an opportunity to rectify them.
On October 31, the High Court, while considering the fresh challenge, kept the October 27 rejection order in abeyance and directed the NMC and MARB to revisit their decision. The court also asked the regulatory authorities to explore the possibility of granting a conditional permit, subject to reasonable conditions, to enable the college to admit MBBS students during the 2026-27 academic session.
The interim relief had kept the regulatory decision in abeyance pending reconsideration and further proceedings. However, following the subsequent review, the NMC and MARB informed the court that the application had again been rejected for the current academic session. (KDC)