Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 23 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday questioned the central government on its decision to declare Jamia Millia Islamia a minority institution.

The university was given the minority status by the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI).

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said: “Issue notice to human resources development ministry, the ministry of minority affairs and others. They all will have to file their reply by May 18.”

The court was hearing a petition of Vijay Kumar Sharma, president of NGO Yuva Bharti Samiti, alleging that “the Jamia Millia Islamia Act, 1988, incorporates and establishes the university and dissolves the Jamia Millia Islamia Society, which was managing and running it, and the NCMEI has no jurisdiction or authority to declare it a minority institution”.

The bench has also sought reply from the vice chancellor of the university, the teachers’ association and five others including the students’ union.

“The university is a central university of national importance and is an alloy of secular Indian culture where members of all caste, creed and religions have been benefited and cannot be conferred with the status of minority institution,” said the petition filed by advocates Rakesh and Santosh Kumar.

“The act does not provide any special consideration for a person belonging to a particular community and the posts of chief policy making body (Anjuman)…are open to persons of all caste, creed and religion with no special consideration to Muslims,” the petition said.

The NCMEI headed by Justice M.S.A. Siddiqui had recently granted “minority” status to the university which will enable it to reserve up to 50 percent seats for Muslim students.