What furore over a medical college’s admissions list tells us about communalisation of Jammu’s identity

By Anupreet Kaur

The current political discourse over the admission of Muslim students to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) is exposing how Jammu ’s identity has been steadily recast on communal lines.

The controversy emerged after the institute released its first MBBS seat-allocation list, which included 42 Muslim students out of a total of 50 seats for the 2025–26 batch. Various Hindu groups have argued that an institute financed by the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board should reflect greater Hindu representation and have demanded that the SMVDIME be designated as a “minority institution” so that reservation is provided to the community.

It is also being argued that an institution supported by donations from Hindu devotees must advance Hindu interests. T