Omar Abdullah seeks closure of SMVDIMS amid admission row

Seeking immediate closure of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Sciences (SMVDIMS), Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday demanded that the students admitted there be accommodated in one of the government-run medical colleges in the Union Territory to end the stalemate.

Ever since the admission process was completed, the newly opened medical college, affiliated with the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), has come under scrutiny after it admitted 42 Muslim candidates, mostly from Kashmir, seven Hindu students from Jammu, and one Sikh candidate in its inaugural batch.

Interacting with the media in Jammu on Tuesday, Omar lost his cool when he was asked to comment on protests organised by members of the Sangarsh Samiti, which is demanding allocation of seats in the Shrine Board-run medical college for students belonging to the Hindu community.

“Why are they protesting? The students worked hard and were admitted there based on their merit. No one extended any favour to them. Neither the University nor I in person extended any favour to these students. They passed the entrance examination and were admitted based on their merit. If you don’t want them to study there, then you have to transfer them to any other Medical College.

In the same vein, Omar added, “I don’t think these students want to study there under the prevailing circumstances. If I were their guardian, even I would have hesitated before sending them to study in the same college. I urge the Government of India and the Ministry of Health to accommodate these students in any one of the medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir so that we can provide them with medical education.