Hindu Groups Demand Muslim Students Be Shifted From Shrine-Backed Medical College

Right-wing organisations under the banner of the Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Sangharsh Samiti staged a march through Jammu city to demand that Muslim students admitted to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence be removed and that seats be reserved exclusively for Hindu students. The protest began at the historic Raghunath temple and proceeded towards Indira Chowk, with activists carrying placards and chanting slogans targeting the college’s admission list. Organisers said they would submit a memorandum to the government seeking cancellation of the Muslim-majority list and reallocation of seats in favour of the Hindu community.

SMVDIME had received approval from the National Medical Commission to admit 50 MBBS students for the 2025–26 academic year. The list released showed 42 students from the Muslim community, one Sikh, and only seven Hindus had qualified through the National Eligibility‑cum‑Entrance Test. Administration officials and admission authorities noted that the intake followed standard procedures under NEET and that SMVDIME is not designated as a minority-institution, making religion-based reservation unlawful under existing regulations.

Leaders of Hindu nationalist groups argued the institute’s funding source makes the religious composition of admitted students relevant. They underscored that SMVDIME was established using donations and offerings made at the shrine of Vaishno Devi and claimed that a college built through such contributions should reflect the faith of donors. One organiser declared that the admissions as they stand were unacceptable and demanded that the selection list be scrapped entirely.

Officials countered that the admissions adhered strictly to merit-based guidelines laid out by the NMC and managed by the Jammu & Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examination. They stressed that since the college lacks minority-status, it cannot lawfully implement religious reservation or exclude eligible students on religious grounds. Administrators at SMVDIME confirmed classes have commenced, with 47 of the 50 seats filled and the remaining three likely to be finalised through pending counselling procedures. Security has been tightened at the campus to prevent further disturbances.

Political dimension intensified when the Bharatiya Janata Party backed the protests and submitted a memorandum to the regional authorities demanding implementation of more stringent admission criteria. Some members called for amendments to the governing regulations to reflect the shrine’s religious ethos. Meanwhile the Omar Abdullah-led government defended the admission process, affirming that merit remains the sole criterion and warning that exclusion of qualified students on religious grounds would contravene constitutional principles.