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The MBBS admission list at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Medical College in Jammu has sparked controversy, with 42 out of 50 seats going to Muslim students. Let's find out what the whole matter is...

The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SVDIME), located in Katra, Jammu, is currently in the news. Its first admission list for the MBBS course has sparked controversy across Jammu and Kashmir. Of the 50 seats in the college, 42 are reserved for Muslim students and only 8 for Hindu students.

This medical college is run by the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, a Hindu religious organization funded entirely by donations to Mata Vaishno Devi. The release of the admission list sparked an uproar on social media. People questioned, "Why did Hindu students receive so few seats when the college is run by a Hindu trust?"

Several local organizations and netizens called the decision "unbalanced and unfair." Some argued that medical admissions are based solely on merit, and therefore, religion should have no bearing on the decision.

What is the root of the controversy?

The issue began when the college's admission list went viral on social media. According to data, 42 Muslim students out of 50 were selected, while Hindu students received only 8 seats. Rakesh Bajrangi, president of the Jammu Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, strongly protested, calling the decision discriminatory and demanding Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha's intervention.

Many people on social media questioned why Hindu students were so underrepresented in a college funded by a Hindu religious board. Some called it against the Shrine Board's stated purpose, while others attributed it to a flaw in the NEET counseling system.

Religion plays no role in the admission process.

The rules for admission to medical colleges under NEET UG are very clear. Admission is based solely on merit and rank obtained in the exam; religion or any other criteria have no place in this process. Every medical college must follow the NEET procedure. Half of the seats in private colleges are filled through the "All India Quota" and the remaining half through the "State Quota." In Jammu and Kashmir, there are some local variations to this process, but merit remains the primary criterion. The reservation policy applies only to caste categories such as SC, ST, OBC, and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). There is no reservation based on religion.