Lack of AMU quota for Dalits: V-C unable to convince NCSC chief

LUCKNOW: Rejecting the submissions made by the Vice-Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) over the issue of extending benefits of reservation in admission for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe candidates, the National SC/ST Commission (NCSC) chairman Ram Shankar Katheria claimed that the commission was not satisfied by the logic given by the AMU Vice-Chancellor and Registrar. 

AMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Tariq Mansoor and Registrar Professor Nazim Hussain presented their standby appearing before the panel on Thursday.  

“We will again meet within next 15 days. But before that we will study AMU’s representation extending to 2,000-3,000 pages and supplementary documents produced by the university authorities. Subsequently, the commission will also try to become a party to the related litigation pending with Supreme Court,” said Katheria.

The NCSC chief had visited AMU campus on July 3 and he had expressed his concern over the university’s failure to give reservation to the underprivileged and Dalits in admissions to the prestigious institution. 

Katheria had met university administrative officials as well. He had served an ultimatum to AMU authorities to extend reservation to Dalit students as per the Constitution within a month or else the central grant to the university would be stopped. The commission had issued a notice to AMU V-C and Registrar on Thursday summoning them.

Following the notice, Mansoor and Hussain had appeared before the commission’s full bench, comprising Secretary and joint secretary, HRD, Secretary, Social Justice department, Secretary, Minority Affairs department and UGC officials.

Prof Katheria cross-examined the V-C directly but he was not satisfied with his responses.  The chairman of the commission claimed that the documents submitted by AMU V-C to substantiate the university’s minority status failed to cut ice.