Vaishno Devi institute admission row: Merit sole basis, not religion, says J-K CM Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday took strong exception to the BJP’s stance on the first admissions in the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, and said any move to grant MBBS seats without merit would require the Supreme Court’s approval.

The Constitution has a word, ‘secular’, and if they (BJP) do not want to keep the country secular, they should first remove the word, Abdullah said.

Talking to reporters after the e-auction of seven limestone blocks in Anantnag, Rajouri and Poonch districts, Abdullah said he failed to understand all the “fuss” over the selection of the majority of candidates from a particular community in the first list of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME).

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary were also present at the e-auction covering about 314 hectares of land.

“When the Assembly passed the Bill for the establishment of the Mata Vaishno Devi University, where was it written that students from a particular religion will be kept outside its purview? At that time, it was said that admissions will not be given on the basis of religion but only on the basis of merit,” the chief minister said.

The SMVDIME was sanctioned 50 MBBS seats this year. However, admissions given to 42 students from a particular community in the maiden batch for the 2025-26 academic year have sparked a controversy, with right-wing Hindu groups questioning the process, and demanding “minority institution” status for the newly-established institute.

Officials, however, claimed that admissions were given on merit as the institute had not been granted minority status and, therefore, no reservation criteria based on religion could be applied.

A delegation of BJP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition in J-K Assembly, Sunil Sharma, met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday, and demanded cancellation of the admission list and reservation of seats for only those students who have faith in Mata Vaishno Devi.

“Some people do not seem to like merit-based admissions. If you want admissions without merit, take permission from the Supreme Court because as far as I know, you cannot give admission without merit.

“There is a demand that admissions be given on the basis of religion, by keeping merit aside, which is not permissible according to the Constitution,” Abdullah said.

If tomorrow the government starts taking decisions based only on religion, what will happen to social welfare schemes, ration distribution, etc., Abdullah asked.

“Will police perform their duty on the basis of religion,” the chief minister asked. “Our constitution has the word ‘secular’. If you do not want to keep this country secular, remove that word,” he said.

Abdullah also advised LoP Sunil Sharma to go through the Act passed by the J-K Assembly, which is there on record.

“Being the LoP, he (Shrama) can check whether it is written that seats will be distributed on the basis of religion. It talks about distribution of seats on the basis of merit. What is the fault of those who secured seats on the basis of merit,” Abdullah said, as he asked students to work hard to clear the entrance examination.

On Sharma’s claim that L-G Sinha has assured to look into their demands for revocation of the admission list and reservation of seats henceforth, Abdullah said, “How can anyone assure such a thing? Then why are you separating the Mata Vaishno Devi University and the hospital? Then say that the hospital was set up from the donations received at the shrine, and that Muslims and non-Hindus won’t be allowed to get treatment there.”

The chief minister also said that when land was given for setting up the university after the Assembly passed the Act, it was clearly mentioned that seats will not be distributed on the basis of religion, but only on merit.