AGRA: Ram Shankar Katheria, chairman, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, on Sunday said that Aligarh Muslim University AMU ) cannot refuse to admit students of the reserved category as it does not have a minority status, which he claimed had been confirmed by the University Grants Commission, Union HRD ministry and National Commission for Minorities.Talking to TOI, Katheria said that he was waiting for the reply of AMU authorities and then would call a meeting and take a final decision in the matter. He said that all top central organisations had confirmed that AMU had not been granted a ‘minority institution’ status.“In the last 10 years, the central government has given Rs 7,000 crore to AMU,” said Katheria adding that the university’s “excuse” of denying admission to SC/ST candidates on the grounds of the pending case in the apex court on the issue of its minority status is incorrect.“Nothing prevents them from reserving seats for SC/ST students, as there is no stay from the apex court on this issue,” said Katheria.Recently, National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) had written to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes that minority status has not been granted to AMU by the NCMEI. However, Jamia Milia Islamia is a minority institution.BJP leader and Aligarh MP Satish Gautam, who demanded reservation for SC/ST students in AMU said, “Now everything is crystal clear. AMU should not have any objection in implementing the reservations system as NCM has also clarified in writing.”However, president of AMU Students’ Union Mashkoor Ahmad Usmani said, “NCM needs to re-check its documents. Everyone should wait as the matter is pending before the SC .”On July 3, Katheria held a meeting with AMU officials in Aligarh to provide reservation to SC/ST and OBC students since the university was not a minority institution. However, AMU administration was not able to provide documents to support their claim of being a minority institution. They had been given a month’s time to prove it. The deadline expires on August 3.The university clarified that AMU has never followed the policy of reserving seats for Muslims. “It rather reserves 50% seats for internal students regardless of their religion or caste. In the case of AMU, there is a stay order of the apex court on the 2005 decision of Allahabad high court and therefore till the Supreme Court finally determines its minority character, no change in its reservation policy is legally possible,” Prof Tabassum Shahab, pro vice-chancellor, AMU said in a statement.

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