Supreme Court reduced the VIP quota for Haj pilgrimage from 5050 seats to 300

The Supreme Court of India on 23 July 2012 reduced the VIP quota for Haj pilgrimage from 5050 seats to mere 300. The remaining 4750 seats will be provided to the pilgrims from general category.

A Supreme Court bench of judges Justice Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai ruled that under the reduced quota, the Indian president can recommend 100 pilgrims, the vice-president 75, the prime minister 75 and the Minister for External Affairs 50 pilgrims, while, the 200 seats would be reserved for the Haj Committee of India (HCI).

The court was informed that 11000 seats have been reserved under government quota to be allocated for Haj 2012. After limiting the seats under discretionaries quota and the HCI, the remaining seats would go to the Haj committees of various states and Union territories.

The court's decision came following an affidavit filed by the government of India in compliance with the Apex court’s 8 May 2012 order. The court in its 8 May 2012 ruling had asked the Union government to come up with the details of the basis on which its discretionary quota seats for Haj pilgrims are allocated to applicants on recommendation by dignitaries and eminent persons.