Srinagar, Dec 5 (KNS): PDP President Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said that merit must not be replaced by religion in educational institutions.

Speaking to reporters as per KNS, Mehbooba said that attempts to bring religion into the functioning of educational institutions would “defame institutions” and shut the doors of opportunity for deserving students across Jammu and Kashmir.

She said controversies around religious identity in institutions like Mata Vaishno Devi University were unfortunate and could have long-term consequences.

She reminded that the land for institutions such as Mata Vaishno Devi University and Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University was allocated during the tenure of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed with the intention of taking higher education “to people’s doorsteps,” especially to benefit the youth of remote areas.

“Admissions in these institutions have always been based on merit,” she said. as per KNS “If religion is brought into it now, it will not only damage the reputation of these institutions but also close the path for meritorious students.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel”

The PDP chief said that ignoring merit for religious considerations could create a dangerous national trend.
“Today it may happen at Mata Vaishno Devi University, tomorrow it may happen somewhere else, and then everywhere,” she said. “Once you start segregating Muslims and sidelining them despite merit, where will they go?”

Mehbooba said that it is important to preserve the atmosphere in which students from all communities studied together with mutual respect.
“Our institutions were built on the principle of inclusiveness. Merit should remain the only criteria,” she said.

Earlier, commenting on infrastructure, Mehbooba said that starting train services between Srinagar–Jammu and Srinagar–Delhi at the earliest would greatly benefit the people of the region.(KNS)