Whether Without Certification From NCMEI, Educational Institution Can Claim Minority Status?: SC To Consider [Read Order]

The High Court had observed that the functions of the Commission are specified u/s 11. S.11(f) of 2004 Act reads as under: (f) decide all questions relating to the status of any institution as a Minority Educational Institution and declare its status as such.

"When the statute enables the competent authority to decide on all questions relating to the status of any institution as a minority institution and to declare its status, the Apex Court has held that the declaration of status emanates from the date when it was established. There is no mandate that all the minority institutions should approach the competent authority and should get its status declared. Only when a question arises as to whether the institution is a minority institution or not, the Management is required to approach the competent authority for a declaration of status", ruled the bench.

The High Court had noted that the appellant before it had filed an application before NCMEI and it was pending consideration. When a declaration is granted in terms of S.11(f), it will relate back to the date of establishment of the institution, it said.

"Such being the position, when the Government by Exts.P6, P7 and P8 orders had already found in the said proceedings that the educational institution is a minority institution entitled for protection of Art.30(1), it cannot take a different stand after the coming into force of the Act. Section 10 apparently is with reference to grant of no objection certificate for establishing a minority educational institution and Section 11(f) is to declare the status in the event of any dispute", reflected the bench.

The bench had expressed the view when the Government had already considered and approved that the petitioner is a minority educational institution, even after the promulgation of 2004 Act, it is not open for the Government to take a different stand. "Of course, as far as private parties are concerned, they could as well contend that it is not a minority institution. But the finding of the Government that in the absence of a certification from the NCMEI, the institution cannot be recognized as a minority institution is devoid of any merit", said the bench.

It was also brought to the notice of the division bench of the High Court that the institution had already submitted an application to the NCMEI for declaring its status. "Once the status is declared, necessarily it relates back to the date of establishment of the institution. In the said circumstances, when the Government had already given the benefit of Art.30(1) to the aforesaid institution on earlier occasions, it is not proper to deny the said status until a different situation arises in the matter", the Court had held.