JMI Violates Muslim Reservation In PhD Admission 2024-25

Fraternity Movement, a student organization at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) has allegedly accused the university of violating the 50% reservation policy for Muslim students in PhD admissions, threatening affirmative action and autonomy. The organization said that various departments have failed to meet quotas, compromising educational equity.

As per the statement released by the Fraternity Movement, the 2024-25 admission process reveals that the admission process for 2025 has caused a deliberate disregard for affirmative action with multiple departments failing to implement the mandated quotas.

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It said that the ongoing PhD admission process violates the 50% reservation policy for Muslim students in PhD admissions at Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) and the “attempts to dismantle its autonomy are unacceptable”.

JMI Reservation Policy For Muslim Students

• Reservation criteria 30% of seats in each program are reserved for Muslim applicants
• 10% of seats in each program are reserved for Muslim women applicants
• 10% of seats in each program are reserved for Muslim OBCs and Scheduled Tribes applicants

The JMI’s 2021 and 2024 Ordinances clearly state that seats must remain vacant if the reservation policy is not met. The recently issued addendum from the Office of the Registrar (dated 24th October 2024) explicitly reinforces this, stating: “While granting admission to Ph.D. programmes, the Department/Centre/Faculty shall pay due attention to JMI reservation policy and procedure… If suitable candidates are not available as per JMI reservation policy, the seats shall not be filled.”

The student led organisation provided the seats distribution among Muslim and Non-Muslim candidates:

• AJK Mass Communication & Research Centre: Only 1 out of 4 total seats allocated to Muslim students.
• Centre for Culture, Media & Governance: Only 1 out of 7 total seats allocated to Muslim students.
• Department of History and Culture: Only 2 out of total 12 seats allocated to Muslim students.
• Department of Psychology: Only 2 out of total 10 seats allocated to Muslim students.

“The current admission process defies this rule, setting a dangerous precedent of exclusion”, said the Fraternity Movement. “Further, the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) reservation is not applicable in JMI, yet there are attempts to impose it, undermining the institution’s founding principles and its commitment to addressing the educational marginalization of Muslim students”, it added.

The student organisation alleged and call it an agenda to strip JMI of its autonomy. “As a central university with a unique historical role, any interference with its policies amounts to a direct attack on its identity.This erosion of autonomy is unacceptable”, the organisation stated.

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JMI 2024-25 PhD Admission Process: Seat Allocation

The data available at the official website of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) shows that some of the departments and faculties at the University have exceeded the seats allocation limit of the non-Muslim candidates.

The current state of admission of PhD in Jamia Millia Islamia in departments which violates the exisitng Muslim reservation policy in the univeristy: