A political storm is unfolding in Jammu and Kashmir amid a heated communal-political row after the BJP demanded the cancellation of the merit list for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME).
The BJP demanded the cancellation of the SMVDIME merit list due to the high number of Muslim students admitted in the first MBBS batch, arguing that since the college is funded by Hindu shrine donations, it should prioritize Hindu students. The admissions, however, were made purely on the basis of NEET-UG merit, as the institution has no minority status.
The newly established Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) allocated 42 out of its 50 MBBS seats to Muslim students (mostly from the Kashmir Valley) in its maiden 2025–26 batch, with only 8 seats going to Hindu/Sikh students.
A BJP delegation led by Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma met Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who also chairs the Shrine Board, and submitted a memorandum. The party argues that because the college is primarily funded by offerings from Hindu devotees to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, its admissions should reflect and serve the Hindu community’s interests. They also demanded an amendment to the Shrine Board Act to allow for faith-based admissions or for the college to seek “minority institution” status.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has sharply condemned the BJP’s push for religion-based quotas at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical Institute, pointing out that when the university was established and land allotted by the Assembly, it was explicitly resolved that seats would never be allocated on religious lines. “If every decision is now to be taken through the prism of religion, will central government schemes also be distributed only to one community?” he asked, stressing that admissions were purely merit-based via NEET and no blame attaches when some candidates simply outperform others.
Kashmir-based leaders have strongly criticised the BJP’s stance. People’s Conference chief Sajad Lone called it an attempt to “communalise medical sciences,” while Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari compared the demand to “the same logic Jinnah used,” warning that it threatens secular values and social harmony.
College officials and the government have clarified that admissions are strictly based on the national NEET-UG merit list and the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE) process. As SMVDIME is a publicly funded institution and not a minority institution, religion cannot be a criterion for admission under constitutional principles.
