By Anwarulhaq Baig
NEW DELHI: Muslim leaders and alumni of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) have raised strong objections to what they perceive as a covert attempt by the university’s newly appointed Vice Chancellor, Mazhar Asif, to alter the institution’s minority status. They claim that Asif has amended the university’s ordinance, increasing the number of seats allocated to non-Muslim students and thus threatening the Muslim quota. This move, according to critics, is an effort to dilute the university’s minority identity and align it with the BJP-led government’s agenda.
The concerns over JMI’s minority status surfaced after Vice Chancellor Mazhar Asif took charge, with many alleging that he has made several changes to undermine the university’s commitment to Muslim education. These changes, critics claim, are part of a broader political strategy to modify the reservation policy and reduce the university’s role as a sanctuary for Muslim students.
These developments come at a time when Muslims have successfully secured minority status for Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) through the courts, and now Jamia Millia Islamia’s (JMI) minority quota faces a similar challenge. The question remains: Is this a strategic political manoeuver or merely an administrative adjustment? The answer to this will largely depend on the direction of the university’s policies in the coming months.
Badre Alam, Secretary of the Alumni Association of Jamia Millia Islamia (AAJMI), voiced serious concerns, claiming that the association is closely monitoring the situation and may take legal action if necessary. Alam also pointed to a new addition to JMI’s admission forms—the inclusion of an Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category—as an indication of a larger effort to undermine the minority quota, given that such provisions do not apply to minority institutions. Despite seeking clarifications from the university administration, the association has not yet received satisfactory responses.
Lubaib Basheer, a PhD scholar and National General Secretary of the Fraternity Movement, stated that they were the first to raise concerns regarding both the PhD admission issues and the introduction of the EWS category. Basheer expressed fear that these actions, purportedly taken by the new administration, are aimed at altering the demographic composition of the minority institution.
The Fraternity Movement also asserted that the ongoing violations of the 50% reservation policy for Muslim students in PhD admissions at JMI, along with attempts to undermine the university’s autonomy, are unacceptable.
This story was originally published in indiatomorrow.net. Read the full story here.
