ALIGARH, March 5: Dr. Ambedkar Chair of Legal Studies and Research of the Aligarh Muslim University is organizing Dr. Ambedkar Memorial Lecture on March 7, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. in the Kennedy Auditorium. Mr. Hansraj Bhardwaj, Union Minister of Law and Justice will deliver the lecture on "Personal Laws and Uniform Civil Code: Constitutionality, Reality and Legitimacy". Justice S. Saghir Ahmad, Retired Judge of the Supreme Court will be the Guest of Honour.
The Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, Prof. P.K. Abdul Azis said that beside the above programme the AMU will be organizing a two-day national seminar on "Minority Education in India: Issues of Access, Equity and Inclusion" to be inaugurated by Mr. K. Rahman Khan, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha and Justice M.S.A. Siddiqui, Chairman, National Commission for Minorities Educational Institutions will deliver the keynote address on March 7, 2009 at 3:00 p.m. in the Kennedy Auditorium.
Prof. Azis said that more than 150 delegates from all parts of the country would participate. He said that the aim of the national seminar is to spread the gospel of education as envisaged by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and to establish a permanent linkage and a mutually fruitful relationship between AMU and the minority educational institutions of the country. Its focus will also be on promotion of voluntary efforts at the grass root level in 90 minority dominated districts for educational uplift of Muslims and to formulate need based action plan. The University is embarking upon an ambitious plan to improve the performance, motivate and offer practical guidance to launch educational institution by NGO's, wherever necessary, and help local initiatives in setting up educational institutions in the minority dominated districts of the country so as to meet the national objective of enhancing the access, equity and inclusion of educationally deprived classes of people.
The prominent dignitaries who will address the Seminars include Mr. E.T. Mohammed Bashir, Former Education Minister of Kerala, Mr. Kamal Farooqui, Member, Muslim Personal Law Board, Mr. P.A. Inamdar, President, Maharashtra Cosmopolitan Educational Society, Maharashtra, Mr. S.M. Akhtar, Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Minorities Affairs, Government of India, Mr. B.K. Beeran, Kerala Muslim Educational Society, Kochi (Kerala), Dr. Fakhruddin Mohammed, MESCO, Andhra Pradesh, Prof. Gulsham Majeed, Centre of Central Asian Studies, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Prof. Basir Ahmad Khan, PVC, IGNOU, Prof. Ahmad Sajjad, Jharkhand, Mr. K.K. Aboobaker, Member, National Monitoring Commission for Minorities Education, Kerala, Mr. Siraj Qureshi, President, India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi, Mr. Irshadullah, Chairman, Bihar State Sunni Waqf Board and Prof. S. Waseem Akhtar, Vice Chancellor, Integral University, Lucknow. Sixty seven representatives of Muslim educational societies from all parts of the country are also addressing the Seminar.
Prominent Muslim Theologicians Maulana Salman Husain Nadvi, Nadvatul Ulema, Lucknow, Maulana Burhanuddin Qasmi, Director, Markazul Ma'arif Education and Research Centre, Mumbai and Maulana Fazlur Rahim Mujaddadi, rector, Jamia Hidaya, Jaipur will also participate.
One special business session on women education "Upgrading Educational Status of Muslim Women: Government Schemes and Voluntary Efforts". Begum Rehana Undre, Vice President, Royal Education Society, Mumbai, Dr. Shabistan Ghaffar, Honorary Member, National Commission for Minorities Educational Institutions, Ms. Uzma Naheed, President, Iqra Educational Foundation, Mumbai, Prof. Sister Marion Mathew, Dean, College of Education, AAI, Allahabad, Prof. Sabra Habib of Lucknow University, Prof. Anita Nuna of NCERT, New Delhi, Prof. Hamida Ahmad, AMU and Prof. Shireen Moosvi, Director, Centre for Women Studies, AMU, Mrs. Sumaiyya Dawood, Principal, Thassim Bibi Abdul Qadir, Women's College, Tamil Nadu and Dr. Asfa M. Yasin, Head, Agricultural Division, PSS Central Institute of Vocational Education, Bhopal shall address the special session.
Prof. Azis pointed out that the national seminar will also explore linking AMU with minority educational institutions spread across the country and consequently revitalize the Aligarh Movement.
The prominent Muslim educationists will discuss the success stories, role of NGO's and community Trusts and will deliberate on the launching of new institutions for the benefit of the community and the nation at large.
It may be noted that the Parliament of India has empowered the Aligarh Muslim University under section 5(2)(c) of the Act to take all necessary steps for "the promotion of educational and cultural advancement of Muslims of India". This section is unique as it confers on the Aligarh Muslim University the power to carry out extension work of specified nature all over the country for the educational and cultural uplift of the Muslims. No other University has been vested with this kind of power. Consequent upon this the Aligarh Muslim University initiated a number of activities conducive to the intent of the provision under Section 5(2)(c). As a sequel of these initiatives the University created a Centre – Centre for Promotion of Educational and Cultural Advancement of Muslims of India in 1988. The Centre has been now reactivated to translate into reality the extension and strengthening of the educational infrastructure in accordance with the needs of the community. The National Seminar is an important step in this direction.
(Dr. Rahat Abrar)
Public Relations' Officer
Get published here, write to amunewsandviews.@gmail.com
Be a proud member of AMU Aligarh Community on Facebook Click Here.
To Get Live AMU Tweets @AMUAligarh Click Here.
