UGC issues circular to implement 10% reservation; Will AMU abide by it?

New Delhi: University Grants Commission has issued a circular to Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) along with the other universities directing it to implement 10 per cent reservation for the economically backward in the general category. UGC, in a letter to the Central Educational Institutions, directed them to implement reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWSs) for admission, in accordance with 124th Amendment of the Constitution of India. It has also asked the institutions to display the scheme details on the website of the institution as soon as possible.

However, people associated with the Aligarh Muslim University have termed the UGC circular as unconstitutional and requested university not to pay heed to it.

Former president of students union of Aligarh Muslim University and advocate Supreme Court Z K Faizan reacted strongly on the circular and said it is meaningless to implement the new policy of 10 pc reservation in Aligarh Muslim University. He said AMU should pay no heed to the circular and should not accept it as an order. Such circulars are usually issued which have no importance, he said.

According to Inquilab, Advocate Faizan claimed that no reservation policy is implemented in minority educational institutions. There are Supreme Court orders supporting the claim.

Supreme Court lawyer Mushtaq Ahmed also said that AMU should not take notice of the circular as it has been clearly written in the constitution that no reservation is implemented in government minority institutions.