Merit, Not Faith: Vaishnodevi Medical College Row Tests India’s Commitment To Rule Of Law |
“One cannot have the cake and eat it too”. This old adage comes unbidden to mind in the context of the latest controversy over admissions to the Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Institute of Medical Excellence. In the maiden batch of 50 MBBS students, 42 happened to be from the Muslim community and eight from the Hindu community, all belonging to the Jammu region.
Several Hindu organisations have objected, arguing that a medical college funded by offerings at the Vaishnodevi Temple should, in effect, reflect the identity of the devotees. Such reasoning, however, collapses under the weight of fact and law.
The college was established under legislation passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, which clearly stipulates that........