The Hindu : New Delhi News : AMU defends quota move

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 25, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

AMU defends quota move

Special Correspondent

Need to attract talent; too much of `in-breeding'

NEW DELHI: Faced with criticism from various quarters over the decision to introduce 50 per cent reservation for Muslims in courses where admission is through an entrance test, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice-Chancellor Naseem Ahmad on Monday said the move would in no way dilute the secular credentials of the university. Instead, according to him, it was directed at breaking the stranglehold of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar Governments on the university and restoring its earlier all-India character.

Briefing mediapersons here, Mr. Ahamad said of the 19,360 students in the AMU today from Classes XI to Ph.D level, over 16,000 were from the two States alone owing to the existing provision of 50 per cent reservation for internal students. Clarifying that the university had nothing against the students of these two States, he said there was a need to attract talent — particularly from the Muslim community — from across the country.

The Vice-Chancellor attributed the overwhelming presence of students from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the university to the fact that it was a residential campus with a school attached from the primary level. "Our school gets students primarily from the two States because of geographical proximity. With many of them then making it to the university through the system of internal reservation, we found too much of `in-breeding' and this decision is aimed at reducing such distortions that have crept into our admission system."

Selectively applicable

Also, according to him, the new scheme of reservation was not applicable to all the 289 courses on offer at the university at various levels.

It is applicable only to 44 courses which in percentage terms amounts to 15.2.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi