Amidst the raging debate within and outside Parliament over the alleged Central Government “interference” in the autonomy of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), a delegation led by its Vice-Chancellor lt Gen (retd) Zameer Uddin Shah and director of Forum for Muslim Studies and Analysis Jasim Mohammad called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
The five-member delegation which also submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister, urged him to support the AMU in its legal battle to preserve the minority status of the university and discussed with him issues related to the AMU Centres in three States Kerala, West Bengal and Bihar. At the meeting, which lasted for about 40 minutes, the Prime Minister assured the university delegation of positive consideration.
lt Gen Shah explained the legality of the AMU Centres and said that these Centres had been approved by the highest policy making bodies, AMU executive council, University Court, Government of India and the President of India in his capacity as the visitor of the university. The delegation also comprised of AMU’s Pro-V-Brig (retd) SA Ali and Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Sadiq.
Opposition parties led by Congress and Sawajwadi Party on Friday had created a storm in Rajya Sabha over alleged Government interference in the autonomy of AMU, forcing an adjournment.
The Vice Chancellor raised the inadequate funding to these centres resulting into heavy deficit in development and constructions at these centres. The Vice Chancellor also pointed out that AMU is being given lesser funds compared to the BHU, which is of equal size, and Jamia Millia Islamia, which is half of the size of AMU.
He also maintained that BHU drew Rs300 crores in revised plan allocation of XII plan and Jamia Millia Islamia got Rs235 crores while AMU received only Rs193.60 crores in XII plan.
The memorandum pointed out that the AMU has recently been judged at a position, which is sixth amongst top ten global institutions of higher learning in India. While raising the issue of minority character of the University, Shah emphasised that the BJP had earlier supported the minority character of AMU in 1977 lok Sabha elections, when it contested the elections on the manifesto of the Janta Party.
The Vice Chancellor regretted that NDA Government had recently reversed its stand on this issue when the Attorney General Mr Mukul Rohatgi stated in the Supreme Court on January 11, 2016 that the stand taken by the previous Government was wrong.
In a related development, President Pranab Mukherjee’s office has returned to the HRD Ministry a file recommending nomination to a vacant seat in the executive council of the Aligarh Muslim University seeking more choices in names.
The names of senior TV journalist Rajat Sharma and eminent scientist Vijay P Bhatkar, who is also the National President of RSS-linked Vijnana Bharati, was returned by the President. Three of the 28 members on the AMU Executive council are recommended by the Ministry for which the President’s nod is necessary as he is the Visitor of the institution.