By Sahid Faris
Jamia Millia Islamia, one of the country’s most prestigious universities with minority status, is facing strong criticism for violating its 50% reservation policy for Muslim students in PhD admissions for the academic year 2024-25.
The university, which has a mandated reservation structure of 30% for Muslims, 10% for Muslim women, and 10% for Muslim OBCs and STs, has allegedly failed to uphold this quota across multiple departments.
This move has sparked widespread outrage among students, activists, and student organisations, who view it as a betrayal of the university’s foundational principles and an attempt to systematically erode the rights of marginalised communities.
The issue traces back to October 2024, when newly appointed Vice-Chancellor Mazhar Asif issued his first ordinance. In a subtle yet significant alteration of language, the ordinance changed the phrase “shall pay due attention” to “may pay due attention” concerning JMI’s reservation policy.
This seemingly minor modification went unnoticed until the PhD admission process revealed a clear pattern of non-compliance with the minority reservation policy. Many fear this is part of a broader strategy to weaken JMI’s status as a minority institution and open the door to policies that dilute its commitment to social justice.
Several departments have failed to meet the mandated reservation for Muslim students. At AJK Mass Communication & Research Centre, only one out of four total seats was allocated to Muslim students, despite having qualified candidates.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.
