Jamia Not A Minority Institution, Says A-G

15 January, New Delhi

Doubts have been cast on the minority status of Jamia Milia Islamia after the Attorney-General informed the apex court that the educational institution was never intended to be a minority institution.

Drawing a parallel with Aligarh Muslim University, Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told the Supreme Court that in the opinion of the NDA government, it was never intended that the AMU should be a minority institution, sources said.

The senior legal functionary based his views on the 1967 SC judgement which held that AMU was technically not a minority institution and the principle applied to Jamia.

The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry had sought the opinion of the Law Ministry in the matter after Jamia had stopped reservation for SC/ST students and instead reserved half its seats for Muslim students. In support of its move, it had cited the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions declaring Jamia a religious minority institution five years ago.