 Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 22: Putting to rest weeks of uncertainty over the future of 50 MBBS students of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), the Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE) has issued a fresh counselling schedule, paving the way for their relocation to government medical colleges across Jammu and Kashmir and enabling them to continue their medical education.
Earlier, BOPEE had informed the Health and Medical Education Department that it was not empowered to conduct any fresh counselling for MBBS admissions for the academic session 2025–26 beyond the schedule notified by the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
However, in a fresh notification issued pursuant to Communication No. ME/1/2026-02 (CC-7718124) dated January 21, 2026, from the Health and Medical Education Department, Civil Secretariat, J&K, BOPEE has now notified that a physical round of counselling will be conducted to accommodate the affected SMVDIME students against supernumerary seats in government medical colleges within the Union Territory.
The notification applies to candidates who were provisionally allotted seats in various rounds of counselling for MBBS Course 2025 at SMVDIME Katra under Notification Nos. 157-BOPEE of 2025 (dated October 25), 170-BOPEE of 2025 (dated November 18), and 216-BOPEE of 2025 (dated December 22), and whose names figure in Annexure-A of the latest order.
According to the schedule, the physical counselling will be held on January 24, with seat distribution as follows: Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag — 8 seats; GMC Baramulla — 7; GMC Doda — 7; GMC Handwara — 7; GMC Kathua — 7; GMC Rajouri — 7; and GMC Udhampur — 7 seats, taking the total to 50 supernumerary seats.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the college allocation issue of the selected MBBS candidates of SMVD Medical College has been resolved. He said the government had taken all necessary steps to address the concerns of the affected students.
“The government has resolved the college allocation issue for selected MBBS candidates of SMVD College. With BOPEE now issuing the counselling schedule, students can move ahead with their studies,” the Chief Minister said. |
