The Supreme Court Friday passed a judgement connected the number instauration presumption of the Aligarh Muslim University. (Express Photo by Abhinav Saha)
A seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court Friday, successful a 4:3 bulk ruling overturned its 1967 lawsuit which had ruled that the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is not a number institution. However, whether AMU volition clasp its number presumption oregon not has been near for a abstracted Bench to decide.
The Bench, presided by the Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, was proceeding a plea connected a notation that arose from a 2006 verdict of the Allahabad High Court which held that AMU, established done an imperial authorities successful 1920, was not a number institution.
Here’s a timeline of however the lawsuit panned out:
1875: The Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College if founded
- Sir Syed Ahmad Khan establishes the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College successful Aligarh, with the purpose of providing modern acquisition to Muslims successful India, who were perceived to beryllium socially and educationally backward.
- The instauration aboriginal becomes the ground for AMU.
1920: AMU takes shape
- The Aligarh Muslim University Act is passed by the Indian Legislative Council, formally transforming the MOA College into Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
1967: The archetypal Supreme Court ruling — S. Azeez Basha vs. Union of India
- The Supreme Court rules that AMU cannot beryllium classified arsenic a number instauration nether Article 30, contempt its Muslim origins.
- The Court states that AMU was established by an Act of the cardinal legislature (the Aligarh Muslim University Act of 1920), not by the Muslim number alone. The ruling emphasises that AMU was a cardinal university, not 1 “established oregon administered” solely by the Muslim community, frankincense it does not suffice arsenic a number acquisition institution.
1981: AMU Act amended to assistance number status
- In effect to the 1967 ruling, the Union authorities amends the AMU Act successful 1981, declaring that AMU was so “established by the Muslims of India” to beforehand the acquisition and taste advancement of Muslims.
- This amendment grants AMU number status.
2005: Reservation controversy
- AMU introduces 50% preservation for Muslim students successful postgraduate aesculapian courses.
- The Allahabad High Court strikes down the preservation argumentation successful 2006, ruling that AMU cannot assertion number presumption due to the fact that it was not a number instauration arsenic per the 1967 Supreme Court decision. This is based connected the reasoning that AMU was not “established oregon administered” by the Muslim community, frankincense it does not conscionable the criteria nether Article 30.
2016: Government withdraws appeal
- The NDA authorities nether Prime Minister Narendra Modi withdraws its entreaty successful the Supreme Court against AMU’s number status.
- The authorities argues that AMU does not suffice arsenic a number institution, reinstating its presumption based connected the 1967 ruling. The authorities maintains that AMU renounced its spiritual presumption erstwhile it was established arsenic a cardinal assemblage successful 1920.
2019: Seven-Judge Bench
- A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, refers the contented to a larger seven-judge seat to resoluteness the ineligible questions surrounding AMU’s number status.
2024: The latest verdict
- A seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, successful a 4:3 bulk ruling, overruled the Allahabad High Court’s determination successful the S Azeez Basha vs Union of India lawsuit connected however a number quality of an instauration is determined, thereby paving the mode for Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) to get the tag.