The Aligarh Muslim University. (Wikimedia Commons)The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is yet again finding itself in the midst of a storm over not providing reservation to Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidates, the Indian Express has reported.
National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) chairperson Ram Shankar Katheria claimed to have given one-month time to the university to furnish proof of its minority status, during a meeting with AMU Pro Vice-Chancellor Tabassum Shahab and a deputy registrar at Circuit House.
“I have given them one-month time to provide documents or legal proof to support their claim of being a minority institution. If they fail to furnish documents and still do not introduce quotas for SC/STs and OBCs, then the commission will send a request to the central government to stop grants to AMU,” said Katheria, who represents Agra in Parliament.
The meeting comes after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath last month raised the demand for quota for Dalits in minority-run institutions like AMU and Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi.
AMU does not reserve seats for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes as all educational institutions supported by the University Grants Commission are expected to. The Allahabad High Court held in 2006 that AMU is not a minority institution.
AMU spokesperson Shafey Kidwai said the university was being governed by the AMU Act, 1981, which granted minority status to it and the minority institutions were exempted from implementing constitutional reservations under Article 15 (5) of the Constitution.
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.