Supreme Court to deliver final verdict on AMU’s minority status today
The Supreme Court will deliver its much-anticipated verdict on Aligarh Muslim University’s (AMU) minority status under Article 30 of the Constitution on Friday. Article 30 gives religious and linguistic minorities the right to establish and manage their own educational institutions. A seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud reserved its decision on February 1 after eight days of arguments.
At issue is the 1981 amendment to the AMU Act, which partly recognized AMU as a minority institution. The court has questioned whether this amendment fully restored the university’s pre-1951 status. The amendment remains controversial, as AMU was founded with Muslim community support as Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875.
The AMU Act, created in 1920, was amended in 1951 to remove mandatory religious instruction for Muslim students, sparking ongoing debate in Parliament and the judiciary. The BJP-led government has pushed to reject the 1981 amendment, arguing it conflicts with AMU’s secular and public character.
After years of debate and legal challenges, the Supreme Court is expected to settle the matter today, potentially shaping the future of minority rights in educational institutions across India.
