MBBS list row: Admissions should be based on merit, not religion, says J&K CM

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday (November 24, 2025) opposed any move to admit students on the basis of their faith and stated that “admissions should be based on merit and not religion”.

“When the J&K Assembly passed the Bill to establish Mata Vaishno Devi University in 1999, where was it written that boys and girls of one religion would be excluded? The Act clearly allows admissions based solely on merit. Now, when admission decisions follow merit, some people are unhappy,” Mr. Abdullah said.

Mr. Abdullah’s statement came two days after the BJP submitted a memorandum to J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on scrapping this year’s MBBS list of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Katra. This year, 42 Muslim students qualified for the MBBS courses at the varsity out of a total of 50 seats. The BJP also sought L-G’s intervention to reserve all the seats for Hindus at the varsity because “it has come up over donations of Hindu devotees”.

However, Mr. Abdullah stated that the narrative being floated around admissions at the Mata Vaishno Devi University was an attempt to “move away from constitutional principles”. 

“Making admission decisions based on religion could set a precedent affecting other public services,” Mr. Abdullah said. He said the law does not restrict admissions to any religious group.

Mr. Abdullah said any attempt to bypass merit would require approval from the Supreme Court. “If you want to conduct admissions without merit, then one should approach the Supreme Court. Admission cannot be granted without merit. Introducing religion into admissions would violate constitutional provisions. Once religion becomes a factor in institutional decisions, it could influence other areas of governance,” Mr. Abdullah said.

“Can similar principles be followed in social welfare schemes or policing. Can duties be based on religion?” he added.

He asked BJP leader and Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma to “study the relevant Act of the Assembly”.

“What is the mistake of the aspirants who gained admission on merit? They should also clearly say that Muslims will not be treated in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi hospital,” Mr. Abdullah added.

Kashmir’s Grand Mufti Mufti Nasir-ul-Islam also opposed the move. “Is India a secular country? Have Muslims fought and participated in the freedom struggle or not? The BJP needs to ensure that there is harmony and brotherhood in the country,” said Mr. Islam, who also condemned the Red Fort blast that left 15 civilians dead in New Delhi on November 10.