Protests Erupt Over MBBS Admissions at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute

Protest Against Admission List

A demonstration organized by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti took place outside Lok Bhavan in Jammu on Saturday. The group is calling for the revocation of the MBBS admission list from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence, as reported by a local news outlet.

The protestors expressed their discontent regarding the high number of Muslim students from Kashmir included in the selection.

During the protest, clashes occurred between demonstrators and police, with participants chanting slogans and burning an effigy of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who oversees the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board that manages the institution.

Some protestors attempted to scale the walls of Lok Bhavan, the official winter residence of the lieutenant governor, but were halted by security forces, according to reports.

Members from various organizations, including the Bharatiya Janata Party, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Shiv Sena, and Bajrang Dal, joined the protest.

This agitation was sparked by the release of the first admission list for the MBBS program by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations in November. Out of the 50 candidates selected, 44 were Muslims from Kashmir, while only six were Hindus from Jammu. Of those six, only three reportedly enrolled in the program.

Officials had previously indicated that admissions were conducted in accordance with National Medical Commission regulations, which stipulate that 85% of seats are reserved for local domiciles and 15% are open to national applicants.

On Saturday, protestors demanded that the shrine board annul the initial admission list.

Retired Colonel Sukhvir Singh Mankotia, who leads the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti, stated that the protestors are advocating for MBBS seats to be reserved for Hindu students.

“We are not against students of any particular religion,” Mankotia was quoted as saying. “We want the MBBS seats in the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence reserved for Hindu students, as the college was established through donations from pilgrims visiting the shrine.”

It is important to note that the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University is not classified as a minority institution, meaning that religion should not influence admissions.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah dismissed the protests as unfounded, asserting that the J&K Assembly had clearly stated that admissions would be based solely on merit.

“Where was it written that students from a specific religion would be excluded?” Abdullah questioned. “It was established that admissions would be merit-based, not religion-based… If you wish to admit students without merit, seek permission from the Supreme Court.”

In November, a political controversy arose in Jammu and Kashmir after Sinha accepted a memorandum from the BJP requesting the cancellation of the admission list. The ruling National Conference labeled the memorandum as divisive, while the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party condemned the BJP's actions as shameful.

On November 22, the BJP, along with Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal, urged the lieutenant governor to revise admission policies to reserve all seats for Hindu students. The BJP's memorandum did not seek minority status for the university but objected to the predominance of students from a specific community.