The Supreme Court is set to deliver a pivotal ruling on whether Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is entitled to minority status under Article 30 of the Indian Constitution.This article protects rights of religious and linguistic minorities to set up and run educational institutions. The case centers around the 1981 amendment to the AMU Act, which sought to grant the university minority status, though it faced criticism for not fully restoring AMU’s pre-1951 identity.
The legal battle over AMU’s status dates back to its founding as the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875 and its transformation into a university in 1920. In 1951, an amendment removed compulsory religious instruction, and in 1967, the Supreme Court, in the S.In the Azeez Basha case, the court ruled that Aligarh Muslim University, being a central university, was not eligible for minority institution status.Proponents of AMU’s minority status argue that its essence remains unchanged despite government funding, while critics contend that its central university status and significant government support disqualify it from such recognition.
AMU’s minority status has been under judicial scrutiny for decades, with several appeals and challenges, including a 2006 ruling by the Allahabad High Court that invalidated the 1981 amendment. Stay updated with live coverage on this landmark case by Bharath Janta.