A Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Wednesday observed that the mere presence of office-bearers from a majority community in some wings of the administration of educational institutions do not dilute their minority character.
“The mere fact that some part of the administration is also looked after by non-minority officials who have a representative voice by virtue of their service in the institution or their association or engagement with the institution will not in that sense dilute the minority character of the institution,” the seven-judge Bench noted.
The Bench is hearing a series of petitions related to the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). A five-judge Bench, in S. Azeez Basha versus Union of India case in 1967, had held that the AMU was a Central university and cannot be considered a minority institution.
