Jammu, Dec. 2 -- Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said there can be no allocation of seats on religious lines in the proposed Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) at Katra, asserting that admissions have to remain strictly merit-based under NEET guidelines.

"Any institution advocating religious-based allocation must first stop taking government grants and return the land received free of cost, before amending its internal rules for exclusive admissions," the CM said while speaking to reporters during his visit to Rajouri.

Referring to the ongoing public debate over reservation of MBBS seats, Omar said the law, the Constitution and the university's own policy do not allow division of seats on the basis ...