Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has accepted a memorandum submitted by BJP leaders seeking the scrapping of the MBBS admission list at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), which recorded a majority of Muslim qualifiers this year.
The BJP has demanded that all seats be reserved for Hindu students at the Katra-based institute, a move that has triggered sharp political reactions across the Union Territory.
The BJP delegation met Sinha on Saturday, days after right-wing groups held protests in Reasi over the admission list, where 42 of 50 MBBS seats for 2025–26 were secured on merit by Muslim students. In their memorandum, BJP leaders called for “corrective measures” and urged amendments to the Shrine Board Act and the University Act, arguing that an institution funded through offerings of Vaishno Devi devotees must reflect the shrine’s “spiritual character.”
The admission controversy began earlier this week when SMVDIME—funded by the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board—issued its maiden MBBS selection list. Several Hindu organisations demanded that the institute prioritise Hindu students and even suggested granting it minority status to enable religion-based reservation.
Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and other social groups staged protests on Friday, calling the admission distribution an “imbalance” and seeking government intervention.
Officials, however, clarified that admissions were made strictly on merit and that the institute does not fall under the category of minority institutions, making religion-based quotas legally untenable.
The National Conference and other JK parties strongly criticised the administration for entertaining the BJP’s demand, calling it an attack on the region’s secular fabric and institutional integrity.
