Aligarh Muslim University Introduces 5% Reservation for Students with Disabilities

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has announced a 5% reservation for students with benchmark disabilities (PwBD) for the 2025-26 academic year. This initiative aims to enhance accessibility in education by providing additional seats in most courses while ensuring that the general category's intake remains unaffected. The university also offers significant financial concessions, allowing PwBD candidates to apply and enroll at reduced fees. Furthermore, eligibility criteria have been relaxed, granting these students a 5% reduction in qualifying marks and a five-year age extension. This article delves into the specifics of the reservation policy, including what happens if no eligible candidates apply.

By Ambika Singh Nov 16, 2025, 15:31 IST

Overview of AMU's Reservation Policy

Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), situated in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh district, is renowned for its academic excellence. Each year, numerous students aspire to gain admission, but only a limited number succeed. This article explores the reservation policy for students at AMU.

For the academic year 2025-26, AMU has implemented a 5% reservation for students classified under the PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) category. This reservation is not uniformly applied across all courses. The university has indicated that, in most programs, this 5% reservation will be in addition to the existing seats, ensuring that the general category's intake remains unaffected.

Specifics of the Reservation

In certain professional courses, including MBBS, BDS, BUMS, B.Sc Nursing, B.Arch, postgraduate medical programs, and PhD, the 5% reservation will be allocated within the current seat limits. This means that no additional seats will be created for these courses; instead, a portion of the existing seats will be designated for PwBD candidates.

Eligibility Requirements

Required Documentation

Candidates seeking to benefit from this reservation must provide proof of at least 40% disability. It is important to note that PwBD candidates can only enroll in courses where their disability does not impede their academic performance.

Financial Benefits for PwBD Students

AMU has also introduced significant financial concessions for PwBD students. While the standard admission test fee is applicable, PwBD candidates will only need to pay ₹100 when applying. Upon admission, the tuition fee is similarly reduced to ₹100. However, this exemption does not extend to candidates on fellowships or those admitted through Self-Finance, NRI, or Foreign National quotas.

Relaxation in Qualification Criteria

Percentage Relaxation in Qualifications

PwBD candidates are granted a 5% relaxation in the qualifying examination criteria. For instance, if general students require 50% marks, PwBD candidates will be eligible with just 45%. This relaxation also applies to the admission test. Additionally, PwBD candidates will receive a five-year age relaxation for courses with maximum age limits, except where such limits are set by external councils or regulatory bodies.

Handling Unfilled Seats

What Happens if No PwBD Candidates Apply?

In cases where no eligible PwBD candidates are available for a specific course, and the reservation is within the existing seat limits, any unfilled seats will revert to the general category. However, this provision does not apply to PhD programs.