Author: Rajeev Ranjan Roy
Publication: The Pioneer
Date:
Though divested of the minority character,
Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) will not implement the 49.5 per cent quota
for SC/ST/OBC students as proposed by Human Resource Development Ministry.
The university officials maintain the 'AMU
is still a minority institution' that leaves no scope for any kind of caste-based
reservation. They argue the matter relating to the university's minority status
is to be heard in the Supreme Court. Till then, the admission would be done
as per the university norms" that do not have provisions for any kind
of reservation for any caste.
"Until the issue of minority character
is determined, the issue of SC/ST/OBC reservation would hang in the balance,"
an official, pleading anonymity, said.
"For us, AMU continues to be a minority
institution, and we are fighting for the restoration of the minority status
in the Supreme Court. As a result, the question for reserving seats for any
caste does not arise," AMU public relations officer Rahat Abrar said.
AMU admits around 6,500 students every year
in different courses at the graduate and post-graduate levels.
For the academic session starting from 2006,
the university is making admission as per the 50:50 norm. Under this, the
university takes 50 per cent internal students and remaining 50 per cent seats
are filled up with the external students, belonging to any caste or creed.
Earlier, admissions were made as per the new
reservation policy under which 50 per cent seats were reserved for Muslim
students, 20 seats for earmarked for the internal students, and 25 per cent
seats were opened for all.
AMU has now filed a petition in the Supreme
Court to restore the university's minority status. "There is absolute
unanimity and co-ordination between the university and Human Resource Development
Ministry over the issue. The Government has reiterated its commitment to restore
the AMU's minority character, and we are jointly working toward that,"
Prof Faizan Mustafa, registrar, AMU, said.
Despite being a central university created
by an Act of Parliament, AMU has never had the provisions for reservation
for any caste.
They only have seats earmarked for the external
and internal students. It is, however, a different matter that Muslim students
account for over 65 per cent of the total strength. "In many courses,
non-Muslim students have considerable presence," a faculty member said.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice
A N Ray and Justice Ashok Bhushan in January upheld the earlier order of quashing
AMU's minority status in October last year, and rejected the petitions filed
by the Union Government and AMU challenging the single-judge verdict. From
the 2006-07 academic session, examinations would be held in the old format,
without the provision of reservation.
As per Aligarh Muslim University (Amendment)
Act, 1981, "the university means the educational institution of their
choice established by the Muslims of India, which originated as the Mohammedan
Anglo-Oriental College, Aligarh, and which was subsequently incorporated as
the Aligarh Muslim University."
The HRD Ministry had taken a less than a month's
time in approving of AMU's new admission policy with 50 per cent reservation
for Muslims in the professional courses. It was on January 29, 2005 that Prof
Nazim Ali, AMU registrar, who informed BS Baswan, HRD secretary, about the
university's admission policy.
Sunil Kumar, on February 25, 2005, through
letter (D.O. No. 36/2005\Desk-U) conveyed the Ministry's no objection to the
university.
