Protests erupt at Vaishnodevi Medical College after 90% seats go to Kashmiri students

Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Institute of Medical Excellence has come under fire after admitting around 90% Muslim students from Kashmir to its first batch of medical programmes. Outfits associated with the Sangh Parivar have launched protests in the Jammu region, demanding that the admission list be scrapped, according to a report by the Indian Express.

The admission list, published by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (JKBOPEE), included 50 candidates from Jammu and Kashmir for admission to the Katra-based college, the report said.

Of them, 39 have already been admitted to the Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Institute of Medical Excellence, it added.

RS Pathania, BJP MLA from Udhampur, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal argued that the institute was set up with donations offered to the Vaishno Devi shrine, and therefore should not be dominated by members of the Muslim community, as per the report.

The seats should be reserved for Hindus, the groups said, according to the report.

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“Admissions for the 2025-26 session should be put on hold, and the management should correct its 'mistake' and ensure that a majority of the students picked for the next one are Hindus. The list of 50 drawn up this time a conspiracy to Islamize the medical college,” Rajesh Gupta, VHP, J-K president said.

“We have no objection to candidates from Kashmir taking admission in any other medical college, but seats should be reserved for Hindu candidates in the Vaishnodevi college, as it has come up with Vaishno Devi shrine donations,” Rakesh Bajrangi, Bajrang Dal, J&K said in the report.

The Vaishnodevi medical college official, on the other hand, said that the admissions were conducted in accordance with the National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines, the report said.

As per the NMC rules, admissions to all the 1,685 seats across the 13 medical colleges of J&K should have to be done based on National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test merit list (NEET).

Another condition is that 85% of the seats be reserved for UT domiciles, with 15% open to candidates from the rest of the country.