People's Democracy

(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Vol. XXIX

No. 20

May 15, 2005

  AMU Faculty Demands Withdrawal Of Communal Reservation

 

THE Aligarh Muslim University authorities have recently abandoned the tradition maintained since its foundation of making no discrimination on religious grounds in its admissions. They have decided that in the admissions to all courses where admissions are made by tests (that is, practically all courses where there is some competition for admission), all available seats shall be filled in the following manner:

  1. 25 per cent of seats filled, first, irrespective of religious faith, on merit.

  2. A further 20 per cent for internal candidates filled on merit.

  3. 50 per cent of all seats to be filled by Muslim candidates, failing to be chosen under (a) and (b).

  4. The remaining 5 per cent to be filled by nomination by vice-chancellor to accommodate candidates who are children of employees or alumni, etc., or belonging to SC/ST.

The scheme was approved by the AMU academic council on April 28, and by the executive council on May 2, and is being put into effect even for admissions which are currently in process. On this basis, there will thus be practically no SC/ ST reservation worth the name.

 

65 members of the faculty of the AMU (both present and former) have issued a public appeal that this scheme of communal reservation should be withdrawn immediately. Their opposition is on the ground that no case has been put forward that Muslims under the present system are not being admitted in large enough proportions; that the new scheme is in violation of Section 8 of the AMU Act (as last amended) prescribing that admissions should be open to all irrespective of faith; and that the step is in violation of the established traditions of the institution, and is likely to hurt the repute of the AMU and harm the employment prospects of its students.

 

The signatories included 46 per cent teachers of the university (7 Professors 16 Readers, and 23 Lecturers). Professors Wasi Haider (Physics), H S Rathore (Applied Chemistry), Shireen Mossvi (History) and R R Sukul (Ophthalmology) are among the signatories. Among retired faculty, Professors Irfan Habib, Shakti R Ahmad, R R Sherwani and K P Singh have signed the appeal.