Sangh outfits protest Vaishnodevi Medical college admissions after 90% selectees are Muslims: Report
Katra: Outfits linked to the Sangh Parivar have launched protests in the Jammu region, demanding that the Katra-based Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Institute of Medical Excellence scrap the admission list for its first batch of students, as 90% of the selectees are Muslims from Kashmir.
The protests, supported by BJP Udhampur MLA R.S. Pathania and led by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal, argue that an institute funded by donations to the Vaishno Devi shrine should not be dominated by members of the Muslim community, and that seats be reserved for Hindus, as reported by The Indian Express on Friday.
However, under existing rules, this is not legally possible, as the Vaishnodevi medical institute is not classified as a minority institute.
The controversy erupted after the J&K Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (JKBOPEE) released a list of 50 selected candidates for the Vaishnodevi medical institute. Among them, 42 are from Kashmir and eight from Jammu. Of them, 36 from Kashmir and three from Jammu have already taken admission.
Protesters have demonstrated outside the institute and even burnt the effigy of the Chief Executive Officer of the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, added the report.
VHP J&K president Rajesh Gupta demanded that admissions for the 2025-26 session be put on hold. “The management should correct its “mistake” and ensure that a majority of the students picked for the next one are Hindus,” TIE quoted him as saying. He further called the list of 50 drawn up this time “a conspiracy to Islamize the medical college”.
Meanwhile, Rattan Lal Gupta, National Conference Jammu province president, blamed the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, which runs the college. He opined that they should have sought minority status while applying to the National Medical Council (NMC) to set up a medical college.
Since the board did not seek such status, the JKBOPEE had no choice but to select students based on NEET merit, Gupta stated, adding: “Most of the students with higher merit happened to be from the majority community (Muslims) in Kashmir.”
Officials, quoted in the report, emphasised that the admissions were conducted in accordance with NMC guidelines, which require all 1,685 seats in the 13 medical colleges of J&K to be filled based on NEET scores. Additionally, 85% of seats are reserved for UT domiciles, with the remaining 15% open to candidates from the rest of the country.
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2 days' WFH for govt offices, Metro use by ministers: Delhi CM's call for fuel conservation
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday announced a slew of measures including two days of 'work from home' (WFH) for government offices, use of Metro trains on Mondays by ministers and officers, and a voluntary 'no-vehicle day' every week.
Gupta said in a press conference attended by her Cabinet colleagues that the government has drawn an extensive plan under "Mera Bharat, Mera Yogdan" to implement the appeal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saving fuel and wise expenditure.
She said all Delhi government offices will follow WFH two days a week. The private sector will also be requested to follow it, she said.
Gupta said all ministers, officers and she herself will use Metro for commuting on Mondays while people will be requested to observe 'no-vehicle day' every week.
The government has also decided to cancel all official foreign visits by ministers for one year while no big events will be hosted by it for the next three months, she said.
The chief minister said petrol and diesel quotas of the Delhi government officers have also been slashed by 20 per cent.
Earlier, Gupta headed a meeting with all her Cabinet ministers and senior officers of the government to discuss ways to save fuel and other resources amid global uncertainty over crude oil and gas supplies.
The chief minister has also cut down on her carcade by 60 per cent, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to people to spend wisely and save fuel in view of the war in West Asia.
The chief minister's convoy now has only four vehicles, including two EVs.
