Admission criteria merit, not religion: CM Omar

Rajouri. Dec 2: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said merit, not religion, should be the criterion of admission for MBBS seats in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME), Katra.

Responding to a question regarding the row over admission of students from a particular community in SMVDIME, Katra, CM Omar said that Government Medical College (GMC), Katra, was established, and the admission channel was decided to be through the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) exam, according to which only merit is considered as a criterion of admission.

“No law and constitution mandates admission as per the religion of the student, and this is clear,” he said. “If the BJP wants to consider religion as a basis of admission in that medical college, then government aid should be stopped and compensation be paid for the land that was provided free of cost for establishing the college and university, and thereafter, university law should be changed and made religion-specific.”