Aligarh Muslim University administration given time till August 8 to reply to notice

LUCKNOW: A day after the chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Caste (NCSC) met the administration and also served a notice to the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) over the Dalit reservation issue, the UP State Commission for SC/ST has, on Wednesday, asked the university to explain why there was no quota for admitting Dalits and backward community. The varsity administration has been given time till August 8 to reply to the notice.

Maintaining that AMU was not a minority institution, Commission chairman and former UP DGP Brij Lal said that the university, by failing to give reservation to SC/ST candidates on the pretext of being a university with minority status, has not performed its constitutional duties.

“The Supreme Court has not passed any order preventing the institution from providing admission benefits to Dalits,” said Brij Lal. “Like any other university, AMU was also set up under a Central Act and was run on its funds. So it should give reservation to Dalits and backwards.”

With CM Yogi Adityanath raking up the reservation issue in AMU and Jamia Milia Islamia last month, the AMU has been caught in a political storm. It claims that its admission policy fell under the SC’s jurisdiction.

“At present, we give 50% reservation to internal students and have no policy to extend reservation benefits on the basis of caste and religion. The matter is sub-judice and we will abide by the court decision,” the Pro V-C was believed to have told Ram Shankar Katheria, NCSC chief.

“If the university doesn’t reply to the commission’s notice by the stipulated date, the commission will issue summons to the university,” said Brij Lal.

Katheria too had served an ultimatum - extend reservation benefits to Dalit students or else the central funds to the varsity would be stopped.