The Hindu : National : AMU reservation inadvisable: CPI (M)

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Sunday, May 22, 2005

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AMU reservation inadvisable: CPI (M)

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI T: he Communist Party of India (Marxist) has termed the move to reserve 50 per cent of seats in postgraduate courses for Muslim students in the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) as an "inadvisable step.'' The party's Polit Bureau said on Saturday that it was not proper to have reservation on religious lines in such a university.

In a statement, the Polit Bureau said the problem of providing modern education to Muslims must be taken seriously and the Centre had a commitment to do so. "The Polit Bureau does not want this genuine issue to be given a communal turn by vested interests.''

Genuine problem

It said that the AMU was governed by an Act of Parliament and had the status of a Central university. It was well known that there was a genuine problem of educational backwardness among and lack of educational facilities for the Muslims.

Article 30 of the Constitution provided protection for the minority educational institutions. Under the provision, as confirmed by the Supreme Court, there could be quotas for the minority students.

"The Aligarh Muslim University does not fall into this category, as it is not a minority institution. When the Aligarh Muslim University Act was amended in 1981, the status of the university was clarified."

The Act provides under Section 8 that "admission should be open to all irrespective of faith keeping in mind the tradition of the university."

"It is true that under Section 5 of the Act the university is empowered to promote the educational and cultural advancement of Muslims. This can be fulfilled by adopting measures other than reservation," it said.

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