Aligarh Muslim University Minority Status SC overrules 1967 verdict on Aligarh Muslim University minority status

The Supreme Court pronounced the verdict on whether Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) holds minority status under Article 30 of the Indian Constitution, which grants religious and linguistic minorities the right to establish and administer educational institutions. SC overruled Basha judgment which said an educational institution can claim 'minority tag' only if established and managed by a minority community and said a regular bench will decide whether AMU is a minority institution based on the indicia laid down by the 7-J bench.The case centers on the 1981 amendment to the AMU Act, which granted minority status but was seen as incomplete. AMU, originally founded in 1875, became a central university in 1920. Critics argue that its government funding disqualifies it from minority status, while supporters contend it retains its character. The decision will resolve decades of legal challenges regarding AMU's constitutional status.