SC decision gives relief to minority institutions including Jamia Millia Islamia

New Delhi: Justice Sohail Ejaz Siddiqui hailed the Supreme Court verdict in which the SC has ruled all questions relating to conferring minority status on educational institutions are to be decided by the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) and quashed the order of the Calcutta high court, which had said the body had no original jurisdiction on the issue.

Addressing a press conference organised by Confederation of Muslim Educational Institutions of India and National Committee for Legal Research and Justice here at India Islamic Cultural Centre, Justice Siddiqui said the present government doesn’t want that any institution belonging to minorities gets established.

It must be noted that a bench of Justices A K Goel and R F Nariman on Wednesday said only the Commission has the power to decide on granting a ‘no objection’ certificate to an institution that wanted to convert into a minority institution. The court passed the order on an appeal filed by NCMEI and Kolkata-based society, Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny, challenging the verdict that set aside the decision of the Commission to confer minority status to Cluny Women’s College.

A Bench of Justice A.K. Goel said the Constitution granted a fundamental right to all minorities, whether based on religion or language, to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.