AMU students go on strike over minority status
by Pankaj Saraswat

   Aligarh: The Aligarh Muslim University teachers association and the students' union went on a day-long strike on Saturday to demand restoration of the institution's minority status by the Government. "The Allahabad High Court's decision is an infringment of Parliament's sovereignty because the university was accorded minority status by an Act of Parliament in 1981", said AMU Public Relations Officer Rahat Abrar. The non-teaching staff association and other university employees' organisations are also supporting the strike. The Allahabad High Court on Thursday withdrew the minority status of the university and said the Act was illegal. It also said that the faculty could not reserve seats for Muslims.

   The court also ruled as illegal a notification issued by the government in February allowing the AMU to reserve 50 percent of its seats in post-graduate studies for Muslims. It ruled that admissions for the session of 2006-2007 will be free to all. However, those students who have been given admission earlier under a quota system and are studying in the university will continue to be a part of the university. The bench struck down section I and section 5 (2)(C) of the Aligarh Muslim Universty Amendment Act, 1981, by which the status of a minority institution was accorded to AMU. It observed that the Supreme Court in the Ajeez Basha case in 1968 had already quashed minority status of the university saying the AMU had been established by an Act of Parliament and enactment of a law by Parliament could not overrule the judgement. The SC's decision was overruled in 1981 by the Indira Gandhi government, which amended the Act and gave AMU its minority status back The order was passed by a bench comprising Chief Justice AN Ray and Justice Ashok Bhushan on petitions filed by the Central government.

    Bharatiya Janata Party said the court had upheld its stand against what they called a communal quota system. But the ruling Samajwadi Party said the centre should now convene a special session of parliament on the issue. The Aligarh Muslim University is one of the 13 Central Universities in INDIA. Located in the Northern part of the country in the state of Uttar Pradesh(the most populated state in the country), the university houses some 24,000 students in all. The University has 13 faculties, out of which the Faculty of Engineering and Technology is the largest. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, a great social reformer, started the Mohamaddan Anglo Oriental College (M.A.O. College), in 1875. In 1920, the college was converted into a full fledged University by an Act of Parliment. Today Aligarh Muslim University is one of the premier institute of learning in India.

Back to Headlines                  Go To Top