Section 7 of the Central Universities Act, 2009: University Open to All Castes, Creed, Race or Class
Section 7 of the Central Universities Act, 2009 establishes a statutory rule of equal access to a Central University. It prohibits exclusion based on sex, caste, creed, race or class and prevents the University from imposing a religious-belief or religious-profession test for specified academic, employment or institutional privileges.
What Section 7 Provides
The University is open to persons of either sex and of every caste, creed, race or class. A religious belief or profession cannot be made a test for appointment as a teacher, holding another University office, admission as a student, graduation, or enjoyment or exercise of a University privilege.
The section also preserves the University's power to make special provision for employment or admission of women, persons with disabilities and persons belonging to weaker sections of society, particularly Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other socially and educationally backward classes of citizens.
The second proviso states that such special provision cannot be made on the ground of domicile.
Meaning and Scope of Section 7
1. Equal access to the University
The opening part of Section 7 is an anti-exclusion provision. It requires the University to remain open irrespective of sex, caste, creed, race or class. The rule applies not merely to student admission but also to important aspects of University employment and institutional participation.
2. No religious test
A Central University covered by the Act cannot require a person to satisfy a test of religious belief or religious profession as a condition for appointment as a teacher, holding another office, admission, graduation or enjoyment of a University privilege.
3. Special provisions remain permissible
The first proviso makes clear that the equality rule does not prevent special provisions for specified groups. It expressly refers to women, persons with disabilities, weaker sections of society, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other socially and educationally backward classes of citizens.
4. Domicile cannot be the basis of the special provision
The second proviso places an express limitation on the special-provision power under Section 7: no such special provision may be made on the ground of domicile.
Key Legal Points
- Section 7 applies to access, employment, office, admission, graduation and University privileges within its stated terms.
- Discrimination through a religious belief or profession test is expressly prohibited.
- The section expressly allows special provisions for the categories identified in its first proviso.
- Domicile is expressly excluded as a ground for a special provision under this section.
Related Sections
Section 7 follows Section 6, which deals with the powers of the University, and is followed by Section 8, which deals with the Visitor of the University.
Page reviewed and updated: 15 September 2026.