EDUCATION                                                                                                                                                                       

Jamia Millia Islamia 75 Years Old & Looking Ahead

"Jamia is unique. It is a symbol of secularism. It is an institute which produces leaders who are truly Hindustani". The Minister of human resource development, Madhavrao Scindia was speaking at the Jamia Platinum Jubilee celebrations."

Jamia Millia Islamia celebrated its platinum jubilee in 1995

A special function was organized Besides Madhavrao Scindia, who was the chief guest, there were other luminaries Prof. Bashiruddin Ahmed, vice- chancellor, gave a brief introduction of Jamia, its plans, progress and problems. "Jamia", according to him, "has passed through three different stages: 1920-1964, 1964- 1988 and 1988 onwards". It started as merely a school and college in 1920. A teacher's college was established in 1938. Later, Balak Mata Centre and Nursery School were added in 1956. Till 1964, the university was strapped for funds. Hence, this period saw a slow and partial growth of the institute. In 1964, Jamia was given the status of a deemed university. The next step came 24 years later in 1988 when Jamia Millia Islamia was made a central university by an Act of Parliament.

Jamia's progress in recent years has been rapid. With the help of special grants from Ministry of Human Resource and Development, University Grants Commission and the All India Council for Technical Education, Jamia is expanding and modernizing its research facilities. The engineering faculty now has a new building, Jamia's teachers are doing research which is attracting attention within and outside the country.

Though, the university still has unmet infrastructural needs such as shortage of classrooms, laboratories, offices for teachers and hostels for students etc., it still is poised for a major leap forward as a national institution of higher learning due to its academic record.

Prof. Masud Husain who has been closely associated with Jamia, first as a student, then as a vice- chancellor and the chancellor Khurshid Alam Khan, expressed gratitude to the founders of Jamia and stressed that Jamia would strive for its progress.

(Source: The Nation and the World)

Government Statement on Promotion of Urdu

The National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language has been established as an autonomous body with the objective of developing, promoting and propagating Urdu Language. The Council has not made any recommendations so far to the Government.

(Source: 1.SUQ No. 280 dated 28 February, 1996 by 8. Shahabuddin)

Supreme Court on Creamy Layer in Bihar and UP

Ashoka Kumar Thakur, Petitioner v. State of Bihar and others, Respondents.

Constitution of India, Article 16(4)- Reservation for backward class - Exclusion of "creamy layer". Criteria laid down by Central Government in office Memorandum dated 8.9.1993 - Approved by Supreme Court.

Bihar Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services (for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other Backward Classes) (Amendment) Ordinance, 1995 and Sec. 3(b) of U.P. Public Services Reservation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and other Backward Classes Act, 1994 is violative of Articles. 16(4), 14 and against law laid down by Supreme Court in "Mandal case" 1992 AIR SCW 3682.

The Supreme Court has categorically held in 'Mandal case' 1992 AIR SCW 3682 that a person, belonging to a backward class, who becomes member of IAS, IPS or any other All India Service, his children cannot avail the benefit of reservation. The States of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have added further conditions such as salary of rupees ten thousand or more per person, the wife or husband to be graduate and one of them owning a house in an urban area. So far as the professionals are concerned, an income of Rs. 10 lakhs per annum has been fixed as the criterion. It is further provided that the wife or husband is at least graduate and the family owns immovable property of the value of at least rupees twenty lakhs. Similarly, the criteria regarding traders, industrialists, agriculturists and others is wholly arbitrary apart from being contrary to the guidelines laid down by Supreme Court in 'Mandal case".

Multiple conditions have been provided in all the categories. The 'spouse' to be a graduate and holding property in urban area, are the conditions attached to almost every category. These conditions have no nexus with the object sought to be achieved. Since the conditions are not severable the two criteria as a whole. have to be struck-down. Thus the criteria laid down by Bihar Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services (for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes) (Amendment) Ordinance, 1995 and Section 3(b) of the UP Public Services Reservation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes Act, 1994, for identification of "creamy layer", would be violative of Article 16(4), wholly arbitrary - violative of Article 14 and against the law laid down by Supreme Court in 'Mandal case’. It cannot be said in India where the per capita national income is Rs. 6929 (1993-94), a person who is a member of the IAS and a professional who is earning less than Rs. 10 lakhs per annum is socially and educationally backward.