Omar Abdullah Defends Merit-Based Admissions of Muslim Students at Vaishno Devi Medical College Amid BJP Opposition

Srinagar:

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has defended the admission of Muslim students to Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College, emphasizing that merit, not religion, should be the guiding principle for admissions. This stance comes amid strong objections raised by the BJP.

Abdullah clarified that the university was established through an act of the J&K Assembly with no religious restrictions on admissions. He questioned, "When the Assembly passed the bill to establish Mata Vaishno Devi University, where was it written that boys and girls of one religion would be excluded?"

The controversy surrounds the admission of Muslim students to the Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence. Following protests by right-wing groups in Jammu, the BJP has submitted a memorandum to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, urging him to revoke these admissions.

The BJP and several right-wing organizations argue that since the college was established by the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and funded through donations from Hindus, seats should be exclusively reserved for Hindus who have faith in Vaishno Devi.

Sunil Sharma, Leader of the Opposition in the J&K Assembly, stated, "It is not acceptable to the people of the country that students from a particular community get admission in the college." He added, "We have conveyed the sentiments and anguish of the people to the Lt Governor. Only those students should be given admission in the medical college who have faith in Mata Vaishno Devi."

Official sources indicate that the Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence is not classified as a minority institution. Therefore, the admission process follows the guidelines set by the National Medical Council and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) list.

In Jammu and Kashmir, there are 13 medical colleges, with the Vaishno Devi medical college launching its first batch this year. While admissions are based on the NEET merit list, with 85 percent seats reserved for domiciles, only 8 Hindu students from Jammu have secured admission out of the 50 available seats.

The Chief Minister has cautioned that if religion becomes a determining factor in institutional decisions, it could potentially influence other areas of governance. Abdullah has urged the BJP to review the Act and the bill passed by the J&K Assembly, noting that neither contains clauses permitting the distribution of medical seats based on religious criteria.

"In the Act, it is stated that admission will be based on merit, not religion. Now, when admissions follow merit, some people are unhappy," the Chief Minister remarked.