New Delhi : In a significant policy clarification, the Karnataka government has allowed educational institutions run by the Muslim community to reserve a fixed percentage of seats for Muslim students, ensuring they retain their “religious minority institution” status, reported the New Indian Express.
This decision comes after widespread opposition from Muslim minority institutions to the state’s March 2024 policy, which had removed the requirement for religious minority institutions to enroll a certain percentage of students from their respective communities. The policy aimed to ease regulations for minority-run institutions — such as those run by Christians, Jains, Sikhs, and Parsis — that were struggling to meet the enrolment thresholds due to their smaller population in the state.
However, Muslim institutions raised concerns, pointing out that they already had a sufficient number of Muslim students and feared that relaxing the rule might lead to non-Muslim students outnumbering Muslim students, ultimately compromising their minority character. They demanded to retain the previous criterion requiring at least 50% of enrolled students to be Muslims to safeguard their identity and eligibility for minority status.
Responding to these concerns, the Karnataka government issued a revised order exempting Muslim-run institutions from the relaxed criteria. While other minority communities no longer need to fulfill the fixed enrolment percentage, Muslim institutions have been permitted to reserve seats specifically for Muslim students to maintain their distinct religious identity.
Under earlier norms, institutions offering higher and technical education, as well as skill development programs, were required to admit at least 50% of students from the respective minority community to be eligible for minority status. For schools, the figure stood at 25%. These benchmarks were removed in 2023 as part of a sweeping reform intended to support minority groups with smaller populations.
The policy revision followed a petition submitted by MLC and CM’s Political Secretary Naseer Ahmed in December 2023. He had highlighted the difficulties faced by smaller religious communities in fulfilling admission criteria. Although the government initially included Muslims in the relaxed policy in March 2024, Muslim institutions continued to push back.
Census 2011 data shows that minorities constitute about 16.28% of Karnataka’s population — approximately 96.01 lakh people. Muslims form the largest group with 78.94 lakh individuals, followed by Christians (11.43 lakh), Jains (4.40 lakh), Buddhists (95,000), Sikhs (28,000), and Parsis (1,100).
The issue was also discussed during the state Cabinet meeting in November 2024 by Minority Welfare Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan, after which the decision to exclude Muslim institutions from the relaxed policy was finalized.
The earlier change had been made through an amendment to the Karnataka Educational Institutions (Provision and Conditions for Recognition of Minority Educational Institutions) Rules, 2024. Though intended to benefit minority institutions, it led to a surge in non-minority enrolments, even in Muslim-run institutes.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil clarified that the government’s final decision aligns with Article 30 of the Constitution and recommendations from the National Commission for Minorities.
While some conditions for obtaining religious minority status remain — such as the institution being primarily established and managed for the benefit of a specific minority — the ability of Muslim-run institutions to reserve seats ensures their autonomy and religious character is preserved.
