NEW DELHI: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has stated that Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), a prominent minority institution, is reducing its reservation quota for Muslim students in PhD admissions.
Asaduddin Owaisi, in a strongly worded social media post, said that the Indian government is violating the university’s long-standing policy of reserving 50% of PhD seats for Muslim candidates, sparking outrage among students and activists.
Owaisi stated, “Jamia, being a minority institution, had reserved 50% of its PhD slots for Muslims, but the government has violated this rule. The purpose of this reservation was to promote Muslim higher education, which already saw a decline of about 1.8 lakh students in 2020-21.”
He further highlighted the broader issue of Muslim underrepresentation in higher education, saying, “Muslims constitute 14% of India’s population, yet their share in PhD enrolment is only 4.5%. The Modi government has abolished the Maulana Azad Fellowship for minority PhD students, with clear aim of depriving Muslims educationally, economically, socially, and politically.” The issue came to light during the recent PhD admissions process, where several departments failed to meet the mandated Muslim reservation quota.
The dilution of the reservation policy has sparked widespread anger among students and activists. Fareeha Khanam, a student, said, “The reduction in seats for Muslims is a clear violation of the university’s commitment to its minority character.
The administration must provide an explanation and take corrective measures immediately.” Another student, Ayisha Parween, added, “We worked hard to qualify for these seats, only to find that the reservation policy is not being followed. It is extremely unfair.” “Jamia Millia slamia was established to empower minority communities, particularly Muslims. Any attempt to dilute its reservation policy is a betrayal of its founding principles,” said Zaki Rahman, a member of a minority rights group.
