NEW DELHI, 20 May 2005 — In a significant decision, the central government has approved 50 percent reservation for Muslims in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in 36 courses, maintaining its identity as a religious minority institution.
While taking the decision, the government has cited Section 2(1) of AMU (amendment) Act, 1981 and the provision of Section 5(C) of the Act empowering the University “to promote especially the educational and cultural advancement of the Muslims of India,” official sources said here yesterday.
An order issued by the Ministry of HRD said that government treats the AMU as a “religious minority institution established and administered under Article 30(1) of the Constitution of India.”
The decision will allow the university to hold competitive exams on all-India basis and provide a quota of 50 percent to Muslim students. The government order came in response to a decision of the AMU bodies, Academic Council and Executive Council, allowing university authorities to decide on reservation policy.
The Executive Council sought the government’s permission to reserve 50 percent seats for Muslims in various courses to check “in-breeding”.
The courses to be covered under the quota system include MD/MS, Master of Computer Science and Application, M Tech, MBA, M.Ed, MBBS/BDS and PG Diplomas.
University sources said the government’s order has “rectified the damage” done by former HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi who had started the move to bring AMU under the ambit of Common Entrance Test (CET), in “violation” of the provisions under which the minority university was set up.
