Vaishno Devi Medical College Faces Uproar As Majority MBBS Seats Go To Muslim Students

Srinagaar: A new controversy has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir after 42 out of 50 MBBS seats at the newly established Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) went to Muslim students in the first-ever admission cycle for the 2025–26 session. The development has sparked strong reactions from the BJP’s J&K unit and several right-wing groups, who are demanding the cancellation of the merit-based list released through the NEET counselling process. The SMVD Medical College, at Kakryal, Katra, run by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board and created through a 1999 State Assembly Act, was allotted 50 MBBS seats for its inaugural batch. Of these, 42 seats were secured by Muslim students, seven by Hindu students, and one by a Sikh student.

Merit-Based Intake Draws Fire After Delhi Blast

Although admissions are strictly merit-based and the institute does not have minority status, the outcome has provoked criticism from hardline groups, especially in the aftermath of the recent Delhi suicide blast carried out by a Kashmiri medico.

A conglomerate of around 60 extremist Hindu groups, the Vaishno Devi Sangarsh Samiti (VDSS), led by Colonel (Retd) Sukhbir Singh Mankotia, has threatened widespread protests if the list is not withdrawn. Mankotia alleged that the Shrine Board “did not follow due procedure” and that the process was “kept secret,” despite counselling being done through the national NEET mechanism. Claiming that the institute was constructed using donations of Hindu devotees, he said the admission list had “hurt the sentiments of the community.” He further argued that “Muslims don’t believe in idol worship, and hence it would not be feasible for them to undergo education in an institute that has been set up by the money of idol worshippers.” The VDSS has escalated the matter to President Droupadi Murmu, the J&K Lieutenant Governor, and the Union Health Minister, seeking cancellation of the list. “If the list isnot cancelled, then we will be compelled to take to the roads and stage forceful protests. The government should respect the sentiments of Hindus,” Mankotia warned.

Several right-wing groups, including the Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Yuva Rajput Sabha and Movement Kalki, have echoed this stand, insisting that institutions funded through shrine donations should prioritise Hindu candidates.

BJP Seeks Overhaul of Admission Rules at Vaishno Devi University

The BJP’s Leader of the Opposition in the J&K Assembly, Sunil Sharma, also met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha last week, demanding a revision of the admission criteria, greater transparency, and consideration of devotees’ sentiments. “Only those who have faith in Vaishno Devi should get admission there,” Sharma said. State BJP chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi later warned that the matter could “snowball into a big controversy in the entire country.” Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who also heads the Shrine Board, has accepted a BJP memorandum urging the scrapping of the admission list and reserving all seats for Hindu students at the university.

In contrast, CM Omar Abdullah dismissed demands to cancel the list, stating that admissions cannot be overturned on religious grounds. “Students were seeking medical education and had no objection to the institute's religious affiliation. Now you want to deny admission based on religion,” he said. Omar warned that such moves could trigger wider social unrest. He argued that if the intention was to restrict admissions to a particular community, the Shrine Board should have sought minority status at the time of establishing the college. “Don’t push Muslim students like this, then if something happens, you blame the entire community. If you don’t want Muslim students to study in this college, then give it a minority status, and our children will go somewhere else. They will go to Turkey or Bangladesh,” he said.