Minority Educational Institutions (MEIs)

Choose the Correct Answer

Correct Answer : Option c

Explanation
Context: In a landmark ruling delivered in 2024, the Supreme Court of India overruled its earlier decision in S. Azeez Basha v. Union of India (1967), restoring Aligarh Muslim University’s (AMU) minority status. The Court clarified that the mode of incorporation of an institution into a university does not affect its minority character under Article 30(1) of the Constitution.

Statement 1 is correct: Article 30(1) of the Indian Constitution grants religious and linguistic minorities the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. This provision ensures that minorities can preserve their culture, language, and religion through education.

Statement 2 is not correct: Minority Educational Institutions are exempt from the state's reservation policies concerning admissions. The Supreme Court, in the case of P.A. Inamdar v. State of Maharashtra (2005), held that the state cannot impose its reservation policy on unaided minority institutions. This exemption is rooted in Article 30(1), which protects the rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions without undue interference.

Statement 3 is not correct: The Supreme Court clarified that the minority status of an institution is not lost merely because it has been incorporated into a university through legislation. In the 2024 judgment concerning Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), the Court overruled the earlier S. Azeez Basha v. Union of India (1967) decision, stating that incorporation by statute does not negate an institution's minority character. The determining factor is who established the institution and its purpose, not the mode of its incorporation.