HC confirms AMU status as 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.

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.

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”.

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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.

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.