The Supreme Court, by a 4:3 majority, overruled its 1967 decision that held that the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) couldn't claim minority status. The top court said the issue of whether Aligarh Muslim University is a minority institution would be decided by a separate three-judge bench.
The 1967 Supreme Court judgment in Azeez Basha vs Union Of India held that the institution, established through imperial legislation in 1920, cannot claim to be a minority institution.
The majority judgment was pronounced by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, with Friday being his last working day. Justices Sanjiv Khanna, JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra concurred with him. Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta and SC Sharma dissented.
The top court order came in a plea following the 2006 verdict of the Allahabad High Court that held that AMU was not a minority institution.
