Sat Nov 09 06:12:40 UTC 2024: ## Aligarh Muslim University Wins Minority Status Recognition in Landmark Supreme Court Ruling

**New Delhi, November 8, 2024:** The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has been declared a minority institution in a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of India. The judgment, delivered in a 4:3 majority verdict, overturned a 1967 ruling that denied AMU minority status due to its creation through a central law.

The Aligarh Muslim University Teachers’ Association (AMUTA) hailed the verdict as a historic victory, reaffirming the university’s unique character and its commitment to serving the educational aspirations of the Muslim community while remaining inclusive of all. AMUTA Secretary Dr. Obaid Siddiqui expressed gratitude to lawyers, alumni, and individuals instrumental in securing the outcome, which upholds the principles on which the institution was founded.

Professor Faizan Mustafa, a constitutional law expert and former registrar of AMU, who filed the case in the Supreme Court, called it a comprehensive win for minority rights in general and AMU in particular. Dr. Rahat Abrar, a historian and former director of AMU’s Urdu Academy, highlighted the importance of historical evidence in the case, asserting that the judgment validates the claims of the AMU community.

The Supreme Court has set down new tests for determining minority status and has directed a new bench to further consider the question of AMU’s minority character.

The judgment is expected to have significant implications for the future of AMU, potentially strengthening its autonomy and solidifying its position as a leading institution of higher education in India.

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