Parliament Question: AMU Malappuram Centre

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3708 ANSWERED ON 25.03.2026 AMU Malappuram Centre 3708 Shri Haris Beeran: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that despite the Sachar Committee's mandate to establish the AMU Malappuram Centre specifically for the educational upliftment of regional minorities in Kerala and Lakshadweep, local student representation remains disproportionately low due to the structural barriers of the centralised admission policy; (b) if so, the reasons for permitting this demographic subversion of the Centre's foundational objective; and (c) if not, the specific legal impediment preventing the Ministry from amending the AMU Statutes to implement a dedicated domicile reservation for Malayali and Lakshadweep students to fulfil the Centre's original mandate? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR) (a) to (c) Central Universities are autonomous institutions, established by Acts of Parliament and they are governed by their own Acts, Statutes, Ordinances and regulations etc. made thereunder and they are competent to take decision in academic, administrative and finance matters of the University. The Malappuram Centre of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has been functioning since 28th February, 2011. As AMU is an autonomous institution governed by its Act, as well as the Statutes, Ordinances, and Regulations framed thereunder, admissions to all its courses are conducted through a merit based, Common University Entrance Test (CUET), which provides a common platform and equal opportunity to candidates across the country, especially those from rural and other remote areas. It may also be noted that there are many Central Educational Institutions across Kerala which are catering to the needs of the State by providing wider choice of courses. These Central Educational Institutions (CEIs) include Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIMK), National Institute of Technology, Calicut (NITC), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram (IISER TVM), Indian Institute of Information Technology, Kottayam (IIIT Kottayam), Indian Maritime University (IMU), Kochi Campus, Central Sanskrit University, Guruvayoor Campus and Central University of Kerala, Kasaragod. ****