AMU

Annual Report Approved under VC's Emergency Powers

Shahabuddin's Letter to Minister of HRD 9 June, 1997

The Annual Report of the Aligarh Muslim University is to be submitted to the Government after due consideration and approval by Executive Council and the University Court. For years, however, the VC prepares the report himself on behalf of the Executive Council, endorses it on behalf of the University Court and sends it to the Government. This is nothing short of a fraud upon the AMU Act. This is done under the emergency powers of the VC under Section 19 (3) of the AMU Act. Surely, the Act did not envisage the usage of emergency powers on routine matters.

The fact of the matter is that successive VCs have been weary of accountability to the Executive Council and the Court. Therefore, while the meetings of the EC do take place, however irregularly, the University Court hardly ever meets except for transacting formally the conduct of their exercise of co-option when it becomes due. To the extent the AMU Act has been bye-passed and neglected the latest example being the indefinite postponement of the meeting of the University Court scheduled for 4.5.97, the University is not being administered in accordance with the Act. I request that you should take due cognizance in the matter and advise the VC that he should submit the Annual Report and Accounts in time but after the endorsement and approval of the Executive Council and the Court.

Sir Syed Society, Varanasi Minoritiesa Coaching Centre

Achievement in UP CPMT

Year                Total               No. of Successful Candidates

1994                40                                9

1995                40                                13

1996                40                                13

1997                40                               Awaited

Funding: Received grant-in-aid from Ministry of Welfare, GOI, in 1991, 1994 and 1995. Application for 1996 is pending with the Ministry of Welfare.(Source: Mr. Tahir Ali Ansari, General Secretary, Sir Syed SocietyC19/44 Vidyapith Campus Varanasi-221002)

Saba Naqvi Bhaumik On the State of the AMU

The AMU and the Jamia founded by men of vision enjoy the status of being among the country's central universities. They have always been linked to Muslim politics and aspirations. But non-Muslims now out-number Muslims in competitive courses in either university. And while AMU enjoys a minority status (sic), Jamia does not. The crux of the problem is that the twin institutions are held hostage by vested interests.

AMU and Jamia are tiny worlds of their own. With a budget exceeding Rs. 90 crore, 25,000 students – a majority of whom are residents - and an 8,000-strongstaff, AMU, for one, has never been easy to run. When Mehmudoor Rehman, a former bureaucrat of the Kashmir cadre, took over as VC in 1995, he won applause for cracking down on a student-run admissions mafia. Butsince then, Rehman has collected more scorn than praise. Since the mid-70s, certain fundamentalist groups that draw their strength from Gulf donations have set up base in the Muslim-dominated pockets surrounding Jamia. There is evidence that they were active during the agitation against Mushirul Hassan five years ago. Moreover, Hassan has taken action against a land mafia... links to local politician. The cruel irony is that while Muslim educational backwardness remains a stark reality and the community lags behind in almost all spheres, the few institutions they can call their own are being pulled down by a culture of patronage.                                                              

Shahabuddin's Letters to Vice-Chancellor, AMU, 3 May, 1997

The Statements attributed to your in the Times of India of 14 April, 1997 have created much chagrin in the University community. In your letter to the Students dated 13 April, 1997, you have referred to a denial sent to the paper by the Registrar. It is not known whether it has-been published. May I request you to send me the text of the denial and a photocopy of the item, if published.

16 May, 1997

The Annual Report of your University for 1995-96 does not provide any figures regarding course-wise enrollment, the number of final examinees, and the number of those who have passed these courses in various faculties. This information is essential to provide an idea of the contribution of the University to the promotion of education and employment.

I wonder whether you maintain the religion-wise break-up of the admission to various courses. If so, I would be grateful for the number of Muslims among those who were admitted to each course during the year and who have passed the course during the year.