IndiaTomorrow.net,New Delhi, 16 Jan: About one and half years after Narendra Modi became Prime Minister of the country, both Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia, two leading government-funded Muslim education institutions, had approached the PM, a few weeks back, with great hope and expectation. But last week both got huge disappointment separately from the central BJP government.
AMU VC had met PM in Dec
Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University Lt. Gen (Retd) Zameeruddin Shah met PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 17th Dec 2015 seeking more funds for the centrally-funded 19th century institution. The PM reportedly assured the VC of full financial support to AMU.
But last week (12th Jan) both VC and AMU got a shocker when Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi told a Supreme Court bench of Justices J S Khehar, M Y Eqbal and C Nagappan that AMU is not a minority university. “As the executive government at the Centre, we can’t be seen as setting up a minority institution in a secular state,” he told the apex court. The stand of BJP government stood in contrast with that of previous Congress government which had supported the minority status of the varsity in the pending case related to its minority character.
AMU reserved 50% seats in PG medical course for Muslims In 2004. But the decision was challenged in the Allahabad High Court which overturned the decision and said the reservation for Muslims was unconstitutional. The AMU and central government filed appeals in the Supreme Court and the case has since been pending there.
Jamia Millia had invited him for convocation
In November last year, Jamia Millia Islamia had sent an invitation to Prime Minister Modi requesting him to be Chief Guest for its convocation. The university administration might be hoping some big announcements from PM. But about a month after the invitation, the PMO cited paucity of time and said the PM would not attend the convocation.
But two days back, the varsity got a bigger shocker when a section of media reported that the government has signalled to withdraw the minority status from Jamia also.
According to The Indian Express, the Union Law Ministry is learnt to have given the advice to the government that it can withdraw its earlier support to the 2011 order of National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) which declared Jamia a minority institution. Its minority status became operation in 2012.
