| Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) is in an expansion mode. Following the presentation of report by the Justice Rajinder Sachar on the socio-economic and educational conditions of Muslims in India, the HRD Ministry has approved a plan by the AMU to set up its extension centres in five cities viz. Bhopal, Pune, Calicut, Katihar and Murshidabad. It has earmarked a sum of Rs 4,000 crore for the new campuses during the 11th five-year plan.
AMU is a central university as per its constitution and elects a vice chancellor every five year through its court. The University was so far mainly admitting students from educationally backward states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. But under its new role, it has set up admission centres in Kolkata, Calicut, Bhopal and Pune and will be adding Lucknow and Hyderabad from the 2009 academic session.
It was Muslim reformer Sir Syed Ahmed Khan who founded the Muslim Anglo Oriental College in 1878 in Aligarh. Raja Mahendra Pratap was the first student to graduate out of the MAO College. MAO College was upgraded into the Aligarh Muslim University in 1921 and became a central university after Independence.
Around one-third of the total 30,000 students are non-Muslims. The University has produced luminaries such as singer Talat Mahmood, film dialogue writer Dr Rahi Masoom Raza, song writer Shaharyar, writer Qurratulain Hyder, Historian Irfan Habib, Geographer Mohammed Shafi and geologist Shamim Jairajpuri.
Advent of vice chancellor Dr Abdul Azis, a Keralite raised a few heckles in the academic community.
A disciplinarian, Dr Azis has enforced a strict code for teachers to remain on their seats between 8am and 4pm.
No condonation for lack of attendance of students too has bruised a few egos. In fact, last year, some goons set aflame the VC's lodge.
At the helms in Aligarh for the last 20 months, Dr Aziz is the first non-Urdu speaking vice chancellor of the University. He spoke to M A Siraj for Deccan Herald recently. Excerpts:
What do you perceive AMU's standing among academic institutions today to be?
AMU enjoys a fairly good standing among the universities in the nation. It is on 9th position among 300 Indian universities in matters of research publications. AMU's engineering college figures on 7th position for funding during 10th Plan by Prof. Joshi and has been recommended for upgradation on par with the IITs.
PURSE, a rating of centres for excellence in science and technology, has recognised our engineering college too as a centre of excellence. Our History Department is recognised as the most prestigious centre of excellence in the country since 1968.
AMU seems to have developed an ambitious plan to expand beyond its campus.
Yes, we will set up five extension centres in Calicut, Pune, Katihar (Bihar), Murshidabad (West Bengal) and Bhopal.
Education is looked after by the State Governments while the Muslim educational backwardness is because of deficiency at the primary level. Do you think AMU will be able to make a difference?
The AMU, BHU and the Jamia Millia are the only central universities in the country that are allowed to run schools. At least one-third of the students in AMU currently study under eight high schools being run in Aligarh. The model will be replicated in all five extension centres. This will address the issue to some extent.
But we may be able to run teachers' training programme for Urdu medium schools at the centres.
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Any initiative to upgrade the general academic standards and environment of the University?
Several measures have been undertaken recently. I have placed an academic rejuvenation agenda to guide 500 doctorates. Under this, 500 theses have to be submitted every year. This year we could produce 320. Classroom attendance has been enhanced to 75 per cent as condition for appearance in exams.
Every teacher is being asked to produce at least one research paper. Nearly 1,000 papers have been submitted this year by teachers. 500 teachers will be required to bring research projects each worth Rs 20 lakh every year from overseas.
We have signed MoUs with universities like Georgia, Georgia Tech, Wisconsin, Young Town University. A diploma course is being introduced on Islamic Banking and Finance from next year.
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