The Supreme Court of India, in a 4:3 majority decision, overruled the 1967 verdict in the S Azeez Basha versus Union of India case, which had ruled that since Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is a central university, it could not be considered a minority institution, according to ANI.

The majority opinion stated that the issue of AMU's minority status should be decided by a regular three-judge bench, as per ANI. The bench noted that the key factor in determining whether an institution qualifies as a minority institution is to identify who established the institution. It further clarified that the administration of an institution by non-minority members would not strip the institution of its minority character. The verdict also affirmed that while the government has the right to regulate minority educational institutions, it must ensure that such regulation does not infringe on the institution's minority status.