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HC confirms AMU status as not a minority institution

PTI | ByRajesh Kumar Pandey, Allahabad
Jan 06, 2006 12:26 PM IST

A division bench of the Allahabad High Court has affirmed last October's judgment by a single judge of the court, holding that Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is not a minority institution.

A division bench of the Allahabad High Court has affirmed last October's judgment by a single judge of the court, holding that Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is not a minority institution.

HT Image
HT Image

The single judge had also quashed an HRD Ministry notification (dated February 25, 2005) permitting AMU to reserve 50 per cent seats for Muslim students in admissions.
The division bench on Thursday said the students who had been given admissions earlier under the quota system and who were studying at AMU would continue to do so. But the court made it clear that from 2006-07, admissions at AMU will be “free to all”.

 SMART BOX

 Order order

• AMU is not a minority institution.

• The HC bench made it clear that from 2006-07, admissions at Aligarh Muslim University will be free to all.

• Mixed reactions to Court’s orders.

The bench comprising Chief Justice AN Ray and Justice Ashok Bhushan  struck down the Aligarh Muslim University (Amendment) Act 1981 which granted minority institution status.


The bench was of the view that the Supreme Court had already in the Azeez Basha case (1968) taken the view that AMU was not a minority institution and enactment of a law by Parliament could not overrule the judgment.

The high court passed the judgment on special appeals filed by the HRD Ministry and AMU. In these, the ministry and AMU had challenged the verdict given by the single judge in October, declaring that AMU was not a minority institution.


In Aligarh, there were mixed reactions to the judgment.

Shireen Moosvi former dean, faculty of social science, said she was opposed to religion-based reservations from the very beginning. Professor KP Singh, Hindi author and former dean, faculty of arts, said the planned communal reservation would inject an intolerable amount of discrimination on the ground of faith among AMU’s students whenever they seek admission to higher courses in their own university.

Dr Rizan Khan, secretary, AMU Teaching Association, said the Allahabad HC verdict was not final and AMU would now approach the SC for justice.


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