Fri Mar 14 17:27:56 UTC 2025: ## Madurai High Court Limits State Minorities Commission’s Power Over Minority Institutions
**Madurai, March 15, 2025** – The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court ruled on Friday that the Tamil Nadu State Minorities Commission lacks the authority to demand records from minority educational institutions to verify their compliance with seat reservation rules. The court’s decision, stemming from petitions filed by four minority institutions, clarifies the commission’s role as primarily focused on safeguarding communal harmony, not dictating admissions policies.
Justice L. Victoria Gowri cited the 93rd Constitutional Amendment and Article 30, stating that minority educational institutions are exempt from the purview of Article 15(5), which deals with reservation policies. The court emphasized that the commission’s powers, as defined in Section 8(1) of the Tamil Nadu State Minorities Commission Act, are limited to monitoring constitutional safeguards and government policies for minorities, and preventing discrimination.
The commission’s Member Secretary had previously requested admission details from 2016-2019 to verify adherence to reservation guidelines. The institutions challenged this action, arguing the commission lacked the authority to set admission criteria for minority institutions. The High Court agreed, setting aside the commission’s proceedings and effectively limiting its oversight of admissions in such institutions.
First Piper 