The Delhi High Court has requested a response from Jamia Millia Islamia regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that requests guidelines be established for offering 10% reservation to Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category students during admission for the academic year 2023-2024. The Bench comprising Justice Satish Chander Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad has issued notices to all parties, including the Ministry of Education and the University Grant Commission (UGC), and scheduled the matter for April 18, according to an official statement.
The petitioner Akanksha Goswami, a law student, stated in the PIL that “Jamia Millia Islamia, by reason of its incorporation and establishment by an act of Parliament, is a central university and not the minority one”. “Once it is incorporated and established by the statute, it can never be termed as a minority institution,” she stated. Furthermore, the executive council and academic council of Jamia need not necessarily consist of the majority members belonging to the main minority community. Therefore, the question of Jamia being a minority institution does not arise, she added.
According to the plea, a minority educational institution cannot be considered a university under the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act, 2004. It is unlawful and goes against the fundamental principles of a Central University to classify it as a minority educational institution, which diminishes its standing, the plea argued.
“The petitioner further seeks the issuance of Court direction to Jamia Millia Islamia to withdraw its prospectus for the academic year 2023-2024 and issue a fresh prospectus after making provisions for 10% EWS reservation under Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019,” the plea added.
With inputs from ANI.
