Tuesday, January 10 2006 17:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: A week after the Allahabad High Court verdict, Government today (Jan 10, 2006) said it would 'decide on steps' required to find a way to restore the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University.

"On receiving a certified copy of the judgement of the High Court, we would decide on steps required to find a way to uphold the commitment of Indira Gandhi about AMU being a minority institution," HRD Minister Arjun Singh said in a statement here.

The High Court had on January five rejected Centre's plea for restoring the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University and scrapping 50 per cent reservation for Muslim students.

Upholding the single bench's judgement on October 4 last declaring that AMU was not a minority institution and 50 per cent reservation for Muslims was illegal, a two-member bench had ruled that according the university the status of a minority institution was 'ultra vires to the Constitution.'

Singh recalled that Gandhi had the issue examined and then in the election manifesto of 1980 Parliamentary elections, mentioned that all doubts on this account would be removed after the polls.

He said as Prime Minister, Gandhi got the AMU Act amended with near unanimity in Parliament. "This Government is committed to the decision she took," he stressed.