Vaishno Devi Medical College Row Escalates as Shrine Board Weighs Minority Status After Protests Over Muslim Admissions

SRINAGAR: The controversy over admissions at the newly established Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence has intensified, with reports in the media indicating that the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) is likely to deliberate on granting minority status to the institution following strong protests by several Hindu organisations.

According to reports, the Shrine Board, headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, has received multiple representations and ground protests demanding that the medical college be declared a Hindu minority institution. Sources quoted in the media said these concerns have reached Raj Bhawan and the issue is expected to be discussed in the upcoming Board meeting. The 76th meeting of the SMVDSB is likely to be convened next month, though an official date has not yet been finalised.

The protests were triggered after 42 of the 50 MBBS seats in the college’s first admission cycle were allotted to Muslim candidates, as reported across several media outlets. Hindu organisations such as the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) said that since the institution is funded by donations made at the Vaishno Devi shrine, its seats should be reserved entirely for Hindu students. They have demanded 100 per cent reservation along the lines of the minority quota offered at other private institutions.

Media reports also quoted senior BJP leader and MLA Vikram Randhawa, who said the party intends to take up the matter with the Lieutenant Governor. “Any institution affiliated with the Vaishno Devi shrine should have 100 percent reservation for Hindus. Non-Hindu students or employees should not be allowed even in the medical college of the shrine,” he said.

A private medical college in Jammu, ASCOMS, currently reserves 25 seats for Hindu minorities of Jammu and Kashmir, filled through the JK Board of Professional Entrance Examinations. Citing this example, protesters have argued that the Vaishno Devi medical college should be granted minority status to ensure similar reservation.

However, officials at the medical college, quoted in multiple reports, said that the admission process was carried out strictly as per the NEET merit list and that no admissions could be altered retrospectively. They added that if the institution were to receive minority status, such reservation could only be implemented from the next academic session.

The Constitution of the Shrine Board states that the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir shall serve as ex-officio Chairman, and if the Governor is not a Hindu, an eminent Hindu member may be appointed to lead the Board. The last Board meeting, held in June, included members Mahamandleshwar Swami Vishveshvaranand Giriji Maharaj, Sudha Murty, Dr KK Talwar, Baleshwar Rai, Dr Ashok Bhan and others. Sachin Kumar Vaishya currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine Board.

Speaking to media, VHP’s Jammu and Kashmir president Rajesh Gupta reiterated the organisation’s stance that the benefits of the medical institution must remain within the Hindu community. “Since the institution has been built using offerings made by devotees, only those who have faith in Goddess Vaishno Devi should study or work here,” he told The Tribune.

With demonstrations continuing and political voices entering the debate, all eyes are now on the upcoming Shrine Board meeting, where the issue of minority status is expected to take centre stage.