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NCMEI Act defines MEI as a college or an educational institution established and administered by a minority or minorities.
As per notification of the Government of India, there are 6 notified religious minority communities - Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist, Parsis and Jain. No linguistic minority has been notified by the Central Government till date.
Eligibility criteria of MEIs-
-Educational institution is established and being administered by the minority community.
-If it is run by a trust/ registered society, majority of members must be from the minority community.
-It has been established for the benefit of the minority community.
♤ NCMEI, a quasi-judicial body, regulates the certification of minority educational institutions all over India.
♤ Its Chairman should be who has been a Judge of the High Court and three members are to be nominated by Central Government.
♤ It has the powers of a Civil Court. It has both
original and appellate jurisdiction in such matters, as laid down by the SC in Joseph of Cluny v/s The State of West Bengal case.
♤ It has adjudicatory functions and recommendatory powers.
♤ It decides on disputes regarding affiliation of a minority educational institution to a university.
♤ It has power to enquire, suo motu, into complaints regarding deprivation or violation of rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
♤ It specifies measures to promote and preserve the minority status and character of institutions of their choice established by minorities.
♤ It can also cancel the minority status granted to institutions if they are found to have violated the conditions of the grant.