The Supreme Court, in a 4:3 ruling led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, has overturned a 1967 judgment that denied Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) minority status. The new verdict states that an institution does not lose its minority character if created predominantly to benefit a minority community, even if established by statute. Chief Justice Chandrachud emphasized that while state regulation is permissible, it must respect the institution’s minority character. The case now returns to a Regular Bench to reassess AMU’s minority status under these guidelines.
